Strangers In Love
by BeautifulUnseen
Summary: After three years of awkward messaging and one viral tweet, Kurt and Blaine meet on live television and are sent on an all expenses paid dream date. There's just one problem...they don't know anything about each other. Based on the July, 2017 news story about Josh and Michelle, the Tinder couple.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: And we're back!**

 **If you were with me through Roses Dipped In Gold, this story will be quite drastically different. But I still hope you stick around for it. :)**

 **If you haven't seen the story about Josh Avsec and Michelle Arendas, go to your favorite internet search engine and type in "Tinder couple meets after three years" and enjoy.**

 **This fic will be somewhat based on their story, though I promise the ending will be much different. ;)**

 **Just to put a disclaimer out there, nothing Glee-related or Josh and Michelle-related are my property.**

 **Read on! xo**

 _ **Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 1**

He did not yet know, but Blaine Anderson's life was about to change. Just on the other side of the set from Blaine, obscured by a large screen, stood Kurt, a boy about whom Blaine knew virtually nothing. Kurt, a boy without whom none of this would be happening.

This had all started as some kind of crazy joke that had carried on far too long for no particular reason other than for the sake of the joke itself. Blaine wasn't actually attracted to Kurt. He didn't think he was, anyway. All he really had to base his attraction off of was a poor quality photograph of Kurt in some crazy, glittery costume complete with wig and heels, and the short, one line bio from his profile that gave Blaine reason to believe that Kurt was a typical self-centered drama student with Broadway pipe dreams.

Blaine briefly wondered if Kurt was having the same thoughts on his side of the screen. Blaine knew his own profile was nothing too impressive either, thanks to Sam.

Blaine restlessly shifted his weight back and forth between his legs. His palms were sweaty and he was nervous for some reason. He blamed it on the fact that this was his first (and hopefully not last) live television appearance, and not the fact that he was anxious about what the real-life Kurt would be like.

The assertive woman with a headset motioned to Blaine that it was time to go.

His heart pounded in his ears.

He gathered his confidence and took a step forward.

 _Here goes nothing._

 **Three Years Earlier**

College was nothing like what Blaine had been taught to expect. Nothing like the movies, with parties every night and all of the experimentation that went hand-in-hand with coming of age. Truth be told, Blaine was committed to his schoolwork, and spent most of his time studying or practicing new music on his piano. So no, college was not night after night of crazy raves and frat parties and getting older kids to buy him beer. In fact, Blaine hadn't even tried so much as one sip of alcohol since he had been there. That was not for his roommate, Sam Evans' lack of trying, though.

Sam was a great roommate, considering Blaine found him via Craigslist ad. He made Blaine laugh, and they shared many of the same interests, but Sam could be a little off-the-wall at times. Currently, he was convinced that Blaine needed to find someone to date so they could go out together. Blaine was in trouble because when Sam had an idea, he saw it through until the (usually painfully backfiring) end.

Blaine sat on the couch, poring over his music theory textbook while some afternoon talk show buzzed in the background. He looked up upon hearing Sam's footsteps nearing, and the other man took one look at the television, wolf whistling.

"Right."

"Really?" Blaine wrinkled his nose, following Sam's line of vision. "Right?"

"Hell yeah, man. She's a total cougar."

Sam and Blaine (mostly initiated by Sam, with Blaine as an unwilling participant) had taken to playing "Right or Left?" at random times during the day, thanks to Sam's new obsession with Tinder. He explained to Blaine that on the dating app, a right swipe indicated interest in a person, and a left swipe indicated the opposite, and he had started calling out "Right!" when they saw attractive women in real life or on television or in the movies. Blaine rarely started the game himself, so Sam often pointed to random boys they passed by, asking him which direction he would swipe. Sam tried his hardest to convince Blaine to download the app to further his dating prospects, but much to his dismay, Blaine informed him that Tinder was not intended for gay men.

Sam was not easily dissuaded, though, and he was about to prove it to Blaine.

He held a phone in his hand as he plopped next to Blaine on the couch, the rush of air causing the pages of his roommate's textbook to flutter.

"Where did you get that?" Blaine asked, realizing the phone Sam had a hold of was his.

"Oh, I took it an hour ago. You get so caught up when you're studying that someone could be murdered next to you and you wouldn't notice."

Blaine shuddered. "That's a pleasant thought."

Sam shrugged, as if the most serious of felonies were no big deal at all.

"So why did you need my phone?" Blaine prompted.

"Oh. Yeah. I made you a Grindr account."

Blaine stared at him with wide eyes.

"It's like Tinder, but for gay men."

"I know what it is…" Blaine snatched his phone out of Sam's hand. "Oh my god."

He looked at the profile Sam had created for him. The picture was of the two of them at Halloween the previous week, dressed as characters from Star Wars. The headline was a Yoda quote. His "tribe" was listed as "Geek."

"Sam, this profile is ridiculous. This is not going to attract the kind of guys I want to date. Which is none. Because I'm focusing on school."

Sam grabbed the phone back and wagged a finger in front of Blaine's face. " _Mais oui, mon ami_!"

"When did you learn French?"

"Don't worry about it." He waved it off and touched the phone screen a couple of times until Blaine's Grindr messages popped up.

"Oh, shit! Look at all these hotties who said hi to you! That one looks nice. Damn! Check out his abs!"

"I thought you were straight," Blaine deadpanned.

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a nice body when I see one." Sam tapped the screen rapidly.

"What are you typing?" Blaine was afraid to know the answer.

"I messaged him back. Told him you thought he was hot."

" _What the hell, Sam?!_ You can't just do things like that!" Blaine stretched across Sam to try to grab his phone, but his roommate held it out of his reach tauntingly.

Suddenly, Sam dropped the phone, shouting in disgust.

"What is it?" Blaine asked worriedly.

"Don't touch that!" Sam cried as Blaine reached for the phone.

Blaine's hand retracted immediately. "Why not?"

"Dick pic."

"Ahh! Ew! Oh my god. Get rid of it. Now." Blaine stood up quickly and backed away from the couch. "I'm running out to get coffee. When I come back, I want it gone. And no more Grindr for you. Deal?"

Sam nodded robotically, picking up the phone with two fingers, his face contorted in revulsion.

"Deal."

* * *

"For fuck's sake, Rachel. Please stop that wailing."

Rachel Berry marched around the kitchen counter with her hands on her hips to confront her roommate, Kurt Hummel. "I'm not wailing, I'm rehearsing."

"I don't care what you want to call it, just stop doing it. I cannot focus on writing this essay with your voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard."

Rachel's face fell. "That's not very nice, Kurt."

He sighed, rubbing his temples and turning to face her. "I'm sorry, Rach. I know we agreed that this is a creative space to be used at any time by either party. I just didn't sleep well last night. I'm so wound up about my Voice midterm."

"You know what will help with releasing that tension? Sleeping with someone."

Kurt stared at her. "You did not just say that."

"It's true! Ever since Brody and I have started to, you know…" she made a gesture that pulled a repulsed groan from Kurt. "...I have been much more relaxed. Don't you think?"

He had to admit she was right. "You _have_ been more bearable lately. _Not_ that I am approving of Brody or hookups for the sake of hookups. You know I'm not interested in casual dating. Not after Adam. It's not worth it."

"I know, I know. All you need is to find someone who wants the same things." Leave it to Rachel to point out the obvious.

"It's really not that easy," Kurt told her. Ever since he had been in New York, he was always on the lookout for men he might be compatible with. So far, he had not had any luck.

"I may have found a way to make it easier."

Rachel's smile was bright and Kurt was beyond suspicious.

"And what exactly might that be?"

"It's an app called Grindr."

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

Rachel pouted. "Why not?"

"People use Grindr for hook ups and murder. Unless I'm looking for a bunch of desperate guys who just want to get off, or someone who wants to off me - which I'm not - it's not for me."

"That's not true! You can set your preferences to show that you're interested in a relationship. Then you can find other guys who have the same preference!" Rachel was practically pleading. Kurt knew she wanted him to find someone who made him happy, but this was a little crazy, even for Rachel.

"Give it up. Why are you pushing this?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Don't be angry. I sort of already made you an account."

Kurt only rolled his eyes and slammed his notebook shut. He should have known.

"Well then delete it."

"Come on. Just humor me for a few minutes."

"I-" Kurt sighed. He reminded himself that Rachel had his best interest at heart. "Fine." He scooted over on the couch to make room for her.

Rachel leaned in close so they could both see her phone screen. "Here's your profile," she said, bouncing up and down excitedly on her cushion.

Kurt almost choked on his coffee. "What the hell kind of picture is that?"

"It's you during Gaga week! I thought it really captured your individuality and showmanship."

Kurt was so glad he wasn't serious about using this app, or he would have to break it to Rachel that he wanted to change everything about the profile she had so carefully constructed for him.

"You really focused on my Broadway aspirations in this, didn't you. And - wait...Twink?" He looked up at his roommate and blinked twice. "I'm not sure if I should be irritated with you or impressed that you know what that word means."

Rachel's cheeks reddened. "I looked it up on the internet."

Kurt couldn't help but to laugh. Of course she did.

"Okay, now look." Rachel was tapping the screen and an array of pictures showed up. Out of a sea of images of topless men, Rachel chose a picture of two people in what looked to be Halloween costumes.

"You _would_ pick that one," Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, it says he's into music. And he's 18. That probably means he's a college student around here."

Kurt snorted. "Yeah, it also says he likes comic books and Star Wars. And he's classified himself as a geek. Not my type."

"Give him a chance!"

He shot her a look.

"Forget it."

"Oops. Accidentally sent a message saying 'hi!'" Rachel took off from the couch and tore into her room, slamming the door shut behind her to stop Kurt from following.

He laughed at her but let it go. She was harmless. He leaned back into the couch, pulling his notebook back out and settled back into writing his essay, hoping that with Rachel's intervention, he did not end up on a date with some psycho Grindr killer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far.**

 **I'm excited to announce that I have taken on my first story as a beta reader, called Breathe Again. This is also Beautifullybroken23's first Klaine fic, so go show her some love!**

 **Without further ado...chapter two!**

 _ **Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 2**

 **Two Months Later**

Winter break was quickly becoming Blaine's least favorite time of the year. It was the only time that his parents required him to come home, promising him that if he refused, they would stop paying his tuition and rent. So he went.

Not that it was the most horrible thing for his parents to want him home at Christmas time. He could understand how they would want the whole family together once a year.

It wasn't even that Blaine didn't like his parents. He loved them as any son would love the people who raised him. But he would never have that deep bond that he always envied between some of his friends and their parents.

If he was being honest, his parents were only half of the problem. It was his big brother that made things exponentially more difficult for Blaine.

Cooper had such a big personality that Blaine was often overshadowed by his older brother. When the two of them were in the room together, his parents (not to mention other family members, strangers, and even Blaine's friends) hardly paid Blaine any attention.

Blaine was shy and introverted, and aside from his triumphs with his high school glee club, Blaine had never done much of anything noteworthy. If anything, the only times Blaine had ever really gotten his parents' attention were negative experiences, like coming out, or the bullying he faced as a result.

The Andersons did not have a problem with their son's sexuality, per se, but from the moment he came out to them, it was as if they suddenly had no idea how to interact with him anymore.

So Christmas was the only time Blaine planned to visit home this year. It would be the only time he had to sit through awkward family bonding time or dinners spent raving about Cooper's accomplishments.

Only two days into winter break and Blaine was ready to go back to his NYC apartment with Sam, who never made him feel awkward or like he belonged in the shadows. Sam was a good friend who brought some craziness to the table. Blaine needed a little crazy in his life.

Wishing he were anywhere but at dinner with his family, he had excused himself from the table for an early bedtime. Now, he sat in his room, flipping through his phone aimlessly as boredom threatened to swallow him whole.

A notion crossed Blaine's mind, and before he could give it a second thought, he was tapping to reinstall the Grindr app. He was surprised to find that he had many messages from the past couple of months. Mostly dick pics, or people asking him for dick pics, but one message was different from the rest.

 _Kurt: Hi Blaine._

That's all it said. Hi Blaine. Blaine quickly tapped the man's picture, which appeared to be him in a strange costume and high heels, and saw that he was a theater geek. Kurt Hummel's entire profile seemed to be centered around his Broadway dreams. He was a NYADA student, which most likely meant that he thought he was better than everyone else.

Still, a small voice inside of Blaine's head told him to go for it. He was looking for something to occupy his time, after all. This guy Kurt might be a total weirdo, but at least he wasn't sending nudes. Blaine, laughing, typed out his response.

 _Blaine: Hey. Sorry, just saw this._

He threw his phone aside along with thoughts of the random Grindr man, settled down into his bed to watch reruns of Friends, and ended up dozing off.

An hour later, he was awakened by his phone alerting him to a message. It was Kurt responding.

 _Kurt: Quick turnaround time._

Blaine laughed out loud. Maybe this guy was actually funny. Or maybe he was just blunt and awkward. Either way, he wanted to reply. Blaine would never have approached Kurt in person, nor would he have handled Kurt approaching him well. But hidden behind the anonymity of his phone, he felt comfortable continuing this exchange.

 _Blaine: It just took me so long to craft the perfect response._

This time, Blaine waited longer than an hour for Kurt to answer. He did not delete Grindr again, though, because part of him (a very, very small part) was vaguely curious what Kurt would say back, if he said anything.

* * *

Two months later, his answer came.

 _Kurt: Sorry, it's been a busy day. How are you?_

Blaine was currently surrounded by a bunch of strangers on the subway, so he chuckled to himself.

Kurt apparently _was_ funny. He wanted to turn this into a game. Blaine had no idea how to talk to the guy about normal things, and he definitely had no idea how to flirt, but keeping the game going a little longer was something he could do. He slipped his phone into his pocket without messaging back.

A month later, he pulled the app back up to sending a message to Kurt.

 _Blaine: Oops. Couldn't find my phone anywhere! I'm good. How are you?_

 **Three Months Later**

"Sorry. Don't really feel like it." Kurt closed his eyes as he leaned against the kitchen counter. No matter how many times he failed, he continued to try wishing Rachel away when she was being particularly irritating. Right now was one of those times. He thought if he focused hard enough, she might disappear from their apartment living room and turn up in the middle of the Appalachian trail or something, face to face with a bear. Preferably not a hungry bear. Kurt wasn't cruel.

"Kurt. Please just reply. Grindr sends me alerts constantly to remind me that you have unread messages." She waved her phone in his face, proving her point. He grunted in frustration, partly at her persistence, partly because his mind powers hadn't worked.

"Why do you even still have the app downloaded on your phone?" His attempt to turn the conversation around on her seemed to have its desired effect. She looked down at her feet and shifted uncomfortably.

"That's completely irrelevant."

"Maybe, but now you definitely have to tell me." He waited while she gathered the courage to tell him.

"Sometimes I like to look at the photos of shirtless boys, okay? Gay men take very good care of their bodies!" Rachel blushed as she admitted to it.

Kurt gasped. "You dirty hag!" Her response was so much better than what he had thought she would say.

"How dare you mock me when it is you who sleeps with a boyfriend pillow!" Rachel retorted.

Bringing Bruce into things was taking it a step too far. He conceded. "Okay, okay. Truce?"

Rachel smiled smugly. "Only if you reply to Blaine's message."

Kurt rolled his eyes, pushed off the counter, and held his hand out for her phone. That woman had such an annoying habit of getting her way.

"What are you typing?" She asked, trying to peek over his shoulder.

He finished and handed the phone back to her, his message still on the screen.

 _Kurt: Sorry, I was out shopping. I'm doing fine._

"What is this supposed to mean, Kurt?" Rachel looked confused. "It's been three months since his last message and your excuse is that you were out shopping? He's never going to respond if he thinks you're being rude like that."

"It's funny, Rach. It's a joke and Blaine is playing along too. Plus, I've told you a hundred times that nothing is going to come of this. You forced me to go out with Alex and things are going well. Forget about this."

She narrowed her eyes. "Okay. But if he messages back, all bets are off."

* * *

By the time Rachel brought it up again, Kurt had all but forgotten his brief and forced (albeit slightly entertaining) foray into the world of Grindr. He had also mostly forgotten the few dates he had gone on with Rachel's friend Alex. Or he tried to, anyway. The trauma of being dumped would probably live with him forever, no matter the length of the relationship.

Kurt had never been one to want to keep things casual. Maybe it was a character flaw, but he preferred the idea that his relationship could grow into something serious, something permanent. And one thing he absolutely refused was casual sex. Which meant, with his lack of long-term relationship history, that Kurt Hummel was a virgin. Of course, his roommate was not. It was something that Rachel held over him, the fact that she had experienced such an important milestone and he hadn't. Kurt liked to argue that he was not completely inexperienced in the bedroom, but Rachel enjoyed reminding him that " _over the clothes doesn't count, Kurt_!" to which he usually so kindly responded with " _Mind your own fucking business, Rachel!"_

Kurt laid on his bed thinking about sex (or his lack thereof) when Rachel barged into his room, excitedly flashing her phone screen in his face.

He took a deep breath. He knew what that meant. A tiny, tiny part of him felt excited to know what Blaine had written back. If he was being honest, Kurt had worried once or twice over the past seven months that he would never hear from Blaine again. He didn't really care, but it would be fun to keep the conversation going.

"Would you mind knocking? I could have been naked or something!"

Rachel scoffed. "Please. Doesn't it embarrass you to even think about being naked? You're such a prude, Kurt."

He stared back indignantly. "I don't know why you always find it so hilarious to tease me about that. There's nothing wrong with waiting for the right person to come along."

"I know. You're right. You know I don't judge you for that."

 _Says the judgiest girl there is._ "I know."

"So…"

"Get on with it, then. I know you're dying to tell me what he said."

She grinned and jumped on the bed next to him.

"I am pleased to report that Blaine is just as weird as you are. You two are a match made in virtual heaven."

Kurt read the message, a small smile creeping across his lips.

 _Blaine: My mistake, Kurt. I slept through my alarm._

"What are you going to say back?" Rachel pried.

"Nothing yet. He waited seven months. I can hold out longer than that."

 **Thirteen Months Later**

 _Kurt: My apologies for missing your message, Blaine. I was in class._

Blaine chuckled loudly as he read Kurt's words over a year after the last time Blaine had sent anything. He checked the timestamp on the message. Kurt had sent the message five months ago.

Blaine finally had reinstalled Grindr after going through two new phones that ended up not working and finally settling on an iPhone. For all that he had been against it in the beginning, Blaine had to admit that he liked being an Apple junkie. Within a month of having his new phone, he also bought an iPad, a MacBook, and an Apple Watch. Who ever said "everything in moderation" clearly had never met Blaine, who dove in wholeheartedly to every new obsession of his.

Looking at his message history, he couldn't believe that he and Kurt were really still at this ridiculous thing. Sure it was funny, but what was it for? They weren't ever really going to go on a date.

After over two years in New York, Blaine had yet to get up the nerve to ask anyone on a date yet. That's what his wingman, Sam, was for, though when Sam actually managed to score him a date, Blaine almost always found an excuse not to go. He told himself that the boys he had met were just not his style. And it was true. Sam kept trying to set him up with big, meaty guys from his gym, who only cared about how they looked. He wanted someone intellectual. Someone more delicate (but not fragile). Someone who was just as romantic as he was. Someone who made Blaine feel comfortable enough to open up and be himself.

He shook off the thoughts of failed dates and memories of the disappointment on his mother's face when he reported that he hadn't met anyone yet. Even though his parents were not terribly accepting of Blaine's sexuality, they still worried that he would be alone forever. He supposed it was a good thing that they would prefer him to marry a man rather than be sad and lonely for the rest of his life.

Blaine turned his attention back to the phone in his hands. He tapped out a message, then pushed send.

 _Blaine: I am so sorry for the delay. My mom stopped by to say hello._

From across the room, Sam caught the smile on Blaine's face.

"What's that smile for? Who are you texting?"

"Can't a guy have some privacy in his own home?" Blaine joked.

"Not when it comes to you potentially getting some ass, you can't!" Sam jumped up and made his way to where Blaine sat, clapping his hands together excitedly.

"I'm not getting any 'ass,' as you put it. I'm not texting either. I'm on Grindr."

"Ahh, I see. How is the dick pic situation? Do you need me to run dick intervention? Provide dick filtration? Be your dick manager?"

Blaine burst out laughing. "Please don't ever say that again," he suggested.

Sam laughed with him. "Fair enough. So what's making you smile? Or maybe I should be asking _who_ is making you smile."

"Remember Kurt, the guy from a couple years ago?"

Sam seemed surprised, but pleasantly so. "That thing is still going on?"

"There really isn't a 'thing,' but yeah. It's just funny that we're keeping it up."

"Do you-"

"Don't even ask if I'm going to ask him out."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I won't."

"That includes sending me ' _anonymous_ ' messages asking me if I'm going to ask him out."

Sam huffed. "Fine."

"Also don't try telepathically asking me if I'm going to ask him out."

Sam's face straightened out, and he lowered his fingers from his temples.

"Damn."

* * *

Five months later, Kurt responded to Blaine's last message. Blaine was celebrating the end of finals with Sam and his latest fling with popcorn and ice cream and an _Alien_ movie marathon when his phone alerted him to it.

 _Kurt: I'm sorry. Got caught up at graduation. Family in town!_

He absentmindedly wondered if Kurt had actually graduated, or if he was just using the event as inspiration for one more excuse.

Before he could think too much about it, Blaine was opening his computer and searching for NYC-based Kurts on social media.

His efforts were fruitless, as it appeared that Kurt either was not his real name, or he did not have any social media accounts. It didn't help that Blaine had no idea of what Kurt's last name could be.

While on Twitter, Blaine suddenly had the desire to share his and Kurt's back-and-forth with his followers. Admittedly, he did not have many, but they were mostly guys he had met through the gaming conventions and comic book stores that Sam had introduced him to, and they all appreciated his sense of humor.

Blaine screenshotted his conversation with Kurt and captioned the picture "When you just can't get enough of each other. Maybe someday we will get around to meeting!"

Feeling a sudden wave of drowsiness hit, Blaine closed his laptop and told Sam and the girl whose name he couldn't remember (not his fault, she was the fifth girl Sam had brought home in the past few months) that he was going to bed early.

Little did he know that when he woke up, he would embark on the ride of a lifetime.

* * *

Blaine could not believe what had happened. Overnight, his tweet had somehow gone viral, with over 8,000 retweets. One of the comments was from Good Morning America, asking Blaine's permission to use his tweet, with credit to him, of course.

Stunned, he said yes. This could be his five minutes of fame, and though Blaine had given up his hopes of being on television years ago, he still wanted a moment in the sun, just like everyone else. Even though his shyness could be crippling at times, on stage or in front of a camera, Blaine thrived.

So in two days, when a representative from GMA was on the phone with Blaine, asking him to travel to their studio and explaining to him the idea they had in mind, he gave a resounding "Yes!."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 3**

"Remind me again why I agreed to do this," Kurt grumbled. He sat in the back of a taxi with Rachel, on his way to the Good Morning America studio. Kurt had never been a morning person, requiring coffee the moment he arose from bed, but even now, with a venti latte in hand, functioning as a productive human being did not seem to be a viable option. "The sun isn't due up for another few hours, but I'm expected to be?"

"Once you feel the rush of being on camera, this will all be worth it!" Rachel raved. Kurt glared at her simply for being so _alive_ at such an ungodly hour.

When Kurt had received the call from an intern at GMA, asking if he would be willing to come on the show to meet Blaine live on air, Kurt had promptly hung up on her. He wondered how anyone knew about him and Blaine, and had been convinced it was some kind of stalker-y joke. He had still been sitting, stunned, when Rachel came home and explained overzealously that she had just seen Blaine's tweet and that it had garnered national attention. He made her prove it, unwilling to believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. Even afterward, he still could hardly believe something he had been involved in had gone viral.

The woman from GMA called back to try again, and Kurt gave her a chance this time, mostly because he was still stunned speechless from finding out about Blaine's tweet. She described their vision for having the boys meet on their morning show, which Kurt had scoffed at. He had no actual intention of meeting this guy. The intern made it sound romantic, but Kurt knew the moment would be far from magical. Still, Rachel had worked her persuasive magic and convinced him that the publicity he could gain from this could help advance his acting career. That, and Kurt was quite suspicious that Rachel was still holding out hope that Kurt would miraculously fall in love with Blaine, so that she could add "master matchmaker" to her résumé.

So now they sat, way too early in the morning, on their way to hair and makeup, so that Kurt could meet the boy who Rachel had messaged on his behalf three years ago. He gulped down his coffee.

Despite the caffeine intake, Kurt closed his eyes and slept the rest of the ride, waking only to Rachel pulling on his arm much too aggressively for his liking.

"Did you have to yank my arm so hard?" Kurt criticized, massaging his shoulder. "I think you dislocated it."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a baby. Would you have preferred I throw my coffee in your face instead? Because that was my other option."

"Could you have woken me up like a normal person? You know...tap me on the leg, call my name?"

"You're going to need more coffee. Blaine will never like you if you're so grumpy." Rachel shook her head as she led the march down the sidewalk.

"I don't need him to like me."

"You need to adjust your attitude."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I brought my mom with me," Kurt drawled sarcastically.

Rachel pouted, falling a few steps behind him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, crossing his arms.

"What do you want from me?" He asked warily.

"I just want you to keep an open mind. Blaine could be nothing like what you're expecting."

Kurt held a deep breath before letting it rush out. He _was_ being unnecessarily closed off about this. He just didn't see how Blaine could be someone he wanted to date, when nobody ever seemed to be anyone he wanted to date. Or, more accurately, _he_ never seemed to be someone anybody wanted to date.

"I'll tell you what. If you're right and Blaine exceeds expectations, I will give him a chance."

Rachen considered his offer for a moment. She stuck out her hand, waiting for him to shake on it.

"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Hummel."

* * *

Blaine was 85% positive that Sam was awake as they were to be taken back to the space where Blaine would be dressed and made up for the show, though he was acting like he was dead asleep. Whereas Blaine could roll right out of bed at any given time of the morning and practically run a 5k, Sam took at least two hours to reach the point where he could even put together an appropriate outfit for class. Blaine very much appreciated that his best friend had come with him to the GMA studio, but he wished Sam was a little more lively.

"Sam!" He called. "Sam! We've got to move."

No response.

Blaine poked him in the arm and Sam collapsed to the side in his chair. Blaine grabbed Sam's cheeks and shook his head back and forth quickly. "I know you're awake. Get up!"

No response.

"Dude! There's food backstage!"

Sam was out of his chair like a shot.

"Huh." Blaine smirked.

"Where's the food?" Sam asked with a scratchy morning voice, searching around the room. "You better not have been lying to me."

Thankfully, as they made their way back to the dressing room area, Blaine spotted tables of food set up for the anchors and guests to snack on.

"There's the-" Blaine cut off to find Sam already loading up a plate. He laughed to himself as he made his way toward the chair that a young stylist was indicating to him.

Blaine greeted the stylist and let her take over, chatting idly as he tried to shake off the jitters and relax completely. For some reason, Blaine was quite excited and anxious for the show today. He had always wanted to be on television, yes, but there was something else there, too. Something else he was not willing to admit.

Had he asked Sam, Sam would have known. But that was just Sam - weirdly perceptive. He always seemed to know things about Blaine before Blaine knew them about himself. Sam would have said that Blaine was lonely. He was lonely and unwilling to put himself out there for fear of uncertainty and vulnerability. Not in so many words, of course. Sam knew that this meeting with Kurt was an excuse for Blaine to meet a new boy without having to reach out himself. He knew that deep down inside, Blaine hoped that Kurt would somehow turn out to be amazing and that they would hit it off. He also knew that Blaine thought that was a ridiculous notion that could never come true.

While Blaine was having the finishing touches put on his hair and makeup, he received the rundown of the day from yet another intern.

The anchors, Michael and Lara would introduce the segment, then during the package that talked about how Blaine and Kurt's relationship had begun and developed, starting from the initial message to where they were today, Blaine would be given the nod to find his way on stage to the stool that sat on one side of a screen separating him from Kurt. When the video finished playing, Michael and Lara would ask Blaine and Kurt a few questions, and then it would finally be time for them to come face-to-face.

That would be the moment of truth. The moment when three years of halfhearted messaging back and forth would culminate...into what? Either Blaine and Kurt had chemistry or they didn't.

Blaine did not allow himself to hope that they did.

* * *

"All right, Kurt. Come stand right here, and I will give you the signal when you can go sit by Lara."

Kurt nodded to the sweet older man wearing a headset and holding a clipboard. He was not feeling any pre-show nerves like he usually did before performing, but then, he did not have any particularly strong feelings about meeting Blaine. He truly had agreed to come on the show because he hoped that Broadway directors would recognize his name when he auditioned for them. Now that he had graduated, Kurt could actively pursue his career in musical theater, and being one of hundreds of other new graduates seeking Broadway roles, he needed all the help he could get.

Rachel squeezed his hand from her position on a chair behind the scenes.

"Open mind, Kurt. He could make you happy."

"I don't need a man to be happy," he scolded her. But even as he said the words, he felt a pang of longing for the type of relationships some of his friends had. Kurt was a romantic at heart, and despite his independence, he craved that sort of emotional intimacy that only a boyfriend could give him.

"I know you don't," Rachel assured him. "But you deserve one who can."

He heard the sounds of the introduction package filling the studio, and tuned in to the man who was supposed to cue him. The man gave him a nod and gestured toward the stage. Kurt brushed non-existent dirt off of his black skinny jeans and made sure his sleeves were still rolled perfectly to just above his elbow. He smoothed his striped button down shirt and took the few steps to the stool that awaited him next to Lara. She shook his hand and complimented his look before the recording ended and she turned back to the teleprompter.

"And here are the two lovely young men now!" She announced. "Welcome, Kurt."

From the other side of the screen, he heard Michael say, "Welcome, Blaine. What is it like to be here today?"

A voice, presumably Blaine's, gushed. "It's incredible, Michael. Thank you for inviting me here. I can't believe I'm actually going to meet Kurt."

 _Uhh, whoa. Gorgeous voice._

Blaine's words felt like velvet against Kurt's ears. He had never heard such a sexy voice before. A voice that actually sent tingles down his spine. He never wanted Blaine to stop saying his name.

 _What the hell?_

Kurt was suddenly wracked with nerves. The first thing Blaine would find out about him was what his voice sounded like. Kurt knew his voice was unique. What if Blaine hated it?

He tried to shake it off. He wasn't sure when he had started to care what Blaine thought of him. How could someone's voice change his entire preconceived opinion of them?

He realized Lara was speaking to him and he tried his best to focus on what she said.

"How do you feel, Kurt, to finally be meeting Blaine in person?"

Rachel had drilled the answers to these questions into his head.

"It's wonderful to be here, and to have this opportunity. It's been a long time in the making for Blaine and myself."

Kurt may have been imagining things, but the next time Blaine spoke, he sounded giddier than before. Still, Blaine sounded confident and at ease. Like he was born to be on television.

The boys discussed how their joke had begun and how it had progressed. Blaine let slip that when it first started, he had not been interested in a relationship.

"If you weren't looking for a date," Michael said, "then why were you on Grindr?"

Blaine laughed. "I'll let you in on a little secret. My roommate set up the account for me."

"No way!" Kurt blurted out, turning his shoulders so that he faced the screen behind which Blaine sat. "My roommate set up _my_ account! Hence, the ridiculous picture from a high school performance."

Kurt could have sworn he heard Blaine breathe a laugh of relief.

"What a coincidence," Lara commented. "Let's see if you have anything else in common. Kurt, what is your favorite TV show to watch?"

"The Bachelorette," he said instantly.

"Blaine?" Michael asked.

"The Bachelorette is my guilty pleasure show! My roommate can't stand it, so I sneak in episodes when he's not home or when he's sleeping. Sorry, Sam!"

Kurt clapped his hands together excitedly. Every guy he'd met so far in New York hated his favorite show. An unwanted image of himself and a faceless figure watching The Bachelorette while curled up together under a blanket infested his mind.

"Okay, Kurt," Lara snapped him back from his thoughts. "What is your go-to karaoke song?"

"Coincidentally, because it's the song I was singing when I wore the costume in my profile picture, 'Bad Romance.'"

"What is yours, Blaine?"

"Funny that Kurt should say a Gaga song, because even though I'm usually more of a Katy Perry fan, my go-to is 'You and I.'"

Kurt forced his fingers to loosen their grasp on each other. He was sitting on the edge of his seat (literally and figuratively) hanging on Blaine's every word. It did not seem possible for them to have so much in common. Who was this guy?

"Last question. Kurt, if you had an endless supply of one dessert, what would it be?"

"Cheesecake. For sure."

"And you, Blaine?" Michael asked.

"Chocolate covered strawberries."

The audience laughed. "Well! That sounds like a romantic date setup right there!"

Kurt realized there was a huge smile plastered on his face. He tried to compose himself and make himself look less eager and more like the put-together adult he was.

"Well, you two, it's time to meet. Please step forward in front of the screen and say hello to your Grindr date!"

Kurt's heart was beating harder than he had given it permission to. He got to his feet and slowly walked toward the front of the screen, holding his breath until Blaine came into view.

He had promised Rachel he would give Blaine a chance if she was right and he wasn't what Kurt was expecting. Kurt really hadn't wanted Rachel to be right.

But now…

 _Shit._

Rachel was right.

* * *

Kurt may have been holding his breath, but Blaine was breathing rapidly in anticipation of coming face-to-face with Kurt. The other boy's answers to the questions had been perfect. And his voice. Blaine absently wondered what Kurt would sound like singing that Gaga karaoke song. Amazing, probably, with that vocal quality.

He straightened his bow tie and buttoned his navy blazer, then stepped forward, keeping his eyes down and hands in his pockets.

He sensed Kurt before he saw him. He heard the little intake of breath, smelled the spicy cologne, and finally, he saw.

 _Holy fucking hell - oh my sweet beautiful mother of - how could this godlike human even be real?_

Kurt looked equally as floored, but seemed to recover faster than Blaine. He quirked a small smile, which brought Blaine back from the moment.

"Hi," Blaine said simply. At least his words didn't come out as jumbled as his thoughts.

Kurt stepped forward for a hug, which Blaine eagerly returned.

As Kurt's arms wrapped around him in a strong embrace, he thought, _Oh god, that's it. I'm done for._ Blaine only knew three things about this guy: his voice was heavenly, he was drop-dead gorgeous, and his hugs were to die for. But those three things were enough. They were all Blaine needed to know at the moment.

His body immediately protested when Kurt pulled away, but instead of chasing Kurt down and never letting him go like he wanted, Blaine forced himself to remain in place.

The audience cheered for them as they stood a good foot apart from each other, though Blaine wanted nothing more than to move closer. The grin on Kurt's face as he peeked over made Blaine's grow even wider.

Lara and Michael walked up to join them seconds later, asking more questions about their journey so far.

Blaine kept sneaking glances at Kurt when he wasn't looking, and he was sure that Kurt was stealing looks at him as well. Blaine felt very self-conscious under his stare. He highly doubted that anyone as good looking as Kurt could find him attractive. What if Kurt was staring because he was disappointed in what he saw?

Blaine began the familiar downward spiral of self-deprecation and was already resigning himself to the idea that this would go nowhere, and that he wouldn't ever talk to Kurt again, when Michael's announcement changed everything.

"Because your first date is three years in the making, we think the two of you deserve something epic. We are sending you on a week long dream date to Hawaii!"

Kurt spluttered and couldn't find words, so Blaine put on his best actor face and spoke for the two of them.

"Wow, that is so very generous. Thank you, GMA, and thank you to everyone who has come along for this ride with us. We are so grateful and look forward to our date week!"

Then the segment ended and the cameras stopped rolling and Blaine and Kurt were herded off to another room to wait to be interviewed once more. The second the cameras were off of Blaine, his awkwardness consumed him. He wanted so badly to talk to Kurt, but didn't know how.

 _Great_ , Blaine thought. _I can't even get up the nerve to say hello. We have to spend a week together and I can't even talk to him._

Sam's last words to him before the filming began rang through his mind. _Don't fuck this up, Anderson!_

Glancing at the unbelievably beautiful man sitting next to him, Blaine vowed to do his best to listen to his roommate for once.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Here is where the story deviates from Josh and Michelle's. Like, 100%. xo**

 _ **Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 4**

It turned out that Blaine's fears about not having anything to say to Kurt would be pushed aside for a moment, because there was very little time for the boys to speak to each other at all.

They sat through two more interviews where they repeated the same answers to generic questions and one awkward goodbye where they weren't sure if they should hug or shake hands (they settled on waving), and then they were headed home to pack for their vacation. A car would retrieve each of them separately to bring them to the airport only a few hours later. By the end of the day, they would be in Hawaii. Everything felt so surreal.

Sitting through the interviews with Kurt was such an unexpected experience. They were constantly locked in a sort of dance where they would drift together unknowingly as if their bodies couldn't help but be near each other, then one or both of them would realize, back up to put some space between them, and the cycle would start all over again. It was exhilarating for Blaine to be physically attracted to someone who seemed to return the feeling, but it was so very intimidating. He could act well enough in front of the cameras, but his extremely introverted personality took over whenever it was just him and Kurt, leaving him a quiet, fumbling mess. Blaine tried to come up with a way he could feel comfortable talking with Kurt, but even just thinking about him turned Blaine into a puddle of giddy nerves.

Kurt was everything Blaine had not expected him to be; he was beautiful and sweet and interesting and just his type.

One part of his brain wondered why Kurt couldn't have just been ugly and boring.

The other part of his rainy was really, really glad he wasn't.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Blaine, which had been an awkward affair (why did everything have to be so awkward suddenly?), Kurt's mind immediately began planning his packing lists. He would only have two hours at home to pack. He simply couldn't work with such an outrageous deadline.

When he was reunited with Rachel in the car, she was bursting with excitement.

"This is the best day ever!" She screeched at a supersonic frequency.

"Why?" Kurt asked dryly, massaging his ears.

"You were on television, you're being sent on a free vacation for a week, and if I'm not mistaken, you owe a certain man a fighting chance, because I was right, wasn't I?"

"I was actually asking why you must be a banshee..."

She ignored him. "Wasn't I right?"

Kurt shook his head, refusing to admit it to Rachel and risk further inflation of her ego. Even as he denied her claim, thoughts of the compact, handsome man he had just met infiltrated his head.

"I wasn't? So Blaine didn't surprise you? Not his good looks? Not how well-dressed he was? Not his voice that I can tell would sound gorgeous in a duet with yours?"

Was he that transparent? Did Rachel know he had been imagining the two of them singing songs from his favorite musicals all day? "Ugh. Fine. But don't let it go to your head."

"Say the words," she teased.

He rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "You're not off to a good start."

"Just say it."

Kurt pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes as if it physically pained him to say so. "You were right."

He wanted to knock the smug look right off Rachel's face.

"That doesn't mean anything, though," he warned her. "Just because I'm going to give him a chance doesn't mean we're going to end up dating."

Rachel took Kurt's hand. "I know you've been hurt before. But not all guys are going to be Adam or Alex. Blaine could like you for exactly who you are. He could be exactly what you've been searching for. You will never know until you try. It hurts sometimes, but you won't find the earth shattering love you are looking for if you don't take that risk."

He looked at her, a mixture of love and reluctance in his eyes. "When did you get so wise?"

"I've always been this wise, you just don't always listen."

He playfully smacked her arm as the car approached their apartment building. "Shut up and come help me pack."

* * *

"Dude. You look like you're going to pee yourself. Calm down," Sam advised Blaine as they rode in the car on the way to the airport so that Sam could send Blaine off on his vacation date.

"I can't. I'm about to go on a trip for an entire week with a guy who is beyond perfect, but whom I know nothing about! What if he doesn't even like me? Every time I try to speak to him, I freeze up. I _might_ actually pee."

"Stop being so dramatic." As he spoke, Sam's phone slipped through his fingers and onto the floor of the car, leaving him shrieking and flailing his arms in a mad scramble to find the small object.

"Uh huh." Blaine raised an eyebrow, watching Sam straighten up and attempt to recompose himself.

"Sorry. So why can't you talk to him? It's no big deal."

"Social anxiety is a real thing. Don't minimize it."

Sam held his hands up defensively. "Not minimizing. Just trying to help."

"Then help," Blaine said shortly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You talk to me."

It wasn't a question, so Blaine waited for more.

"I'm a guy. An attractive guy, I'm pretty sure, even though you've never shown any interest in me, for some unfathomable reason."

"We've talked about this, Sam. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm attracted to every good-looking guy in the world. What's your point?"

"Why can you talk to me but not him?"

"Easy. Because I know you."

"So get to know him," Sam said it so plainly, it almost made Blaine feel stupid.

"It's hard to get to know him when I can't talk to him, and it's hard to talk to him when I don't know him."

Sam's face contorted in concentration while he attempted to process what Blaine had just said. "Okay, you didn't talk to me much when we first met, how did you get to know me?"

Blaine stared at him. "You kind of flung yourself at me. There was _Sam_ everywhere I turned. It was impossible not to know you. And anyway, you did most of the talking."

Sam looked pleased with himself. "I do tend to do that, don't I? Well, maybe you can't talk to him yet, but you're a great listener. Just show him with your body language that you are warm and welcoming, and you'll invite him to come to you."

"That's...actually a good idea."

"It's been known to happen."

The shiny metal and glass of Laguardia caught Blaine's eye as they neared the domestic departures drop off.

"Wow. Okay. We're here. This is really happening."

The car pulled up to the door marked United, and Sam helped him unload his luggage.

"I can't believe you think you can get by with just this and your carry on," Sam said, motioning to the small suitcase he hauled out of the trunk.

"Says the guy who insisted I wouldn't need to pack any clothes, because I would spend every day...how did you put it? 'Waggling in the wind?'"

Sam shrugged. "I just thought two guys, young and attractive, in a romantic place together...there's a high likelihood that some going down will be going down, if you know what I mean." He winked exaggeratedly.

"I really wish I didn't."

Sam laughed and shoved Blaine playfully. "All right, man. This is where I leave you. Forget about your fears and inhibitions and let loose and have some fun for me, eh?" He pulled Blaine into a hug, his tone growing more serious. "I'm only a phone call away. You know that, right?"

Blaine smiled appreciatively, holding tight to his best friend for an extra moment of comfort before stepping into the complete unknown. He knew that behind Sam's jokes and ridiculousness was a man who truly cared for and would do anything for Blaine. "I do."

They said their goodbyes and Blaine checked in, making it through security with almost an hour to spare. He didn't spot Kurt anywhere at the gate, so he settled in to wait. The boarding pass he had been given sat atop Blaine's carry on, displaying the first class seat number.

Blaine had never flown first class before. It felt unnecessary, but exciting all the same.

Eyeing the people rushing by, he watched for Kurt as he waited, but didn't catch a glimpse of his fate. The hour ticked by, and ten minutes to boarding, Kurt had still not yet arrived.

Blaine had just started to entertain the fact that he might be stood up before he spotted the tall figure rushing toward the gate. Even in a hurry he moved gracefully. How unfair. How dreamy. Blaine sighed.

Kurt saw him then, and Blaine gave a timid smile before dropping his eyes to his lap.

"Hi Blaine," Kurt wheeled his carry on behind him. Blaine's heart leapt at hearing Kurt say his name so easily, like he'd been saying it all his life. "I don't know how they expected me to pack for a whole week in only two hours…"

A voice overhead announced that their section was now boarding.

"Nothing like being just in time!" Kurt flashed a smile that made Blaine's knees weak.

He wanted to say something back, he really did, but he couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't make him sound stupid. So he just gave a weak "yeah," and rolled his suitcase toward the worker who would scan his boarding pass.

Blaine found his seat easily, marveling at the space afforded to first class passengers.

Kurt was right behind him. "Do you want the window seat?" Kurt asked him.

Blaine shook his head. Looking out the window during takeoff and landing kicked his motion sickness into overdrive. "No thank you." He held out his hand for Kurt's bag, offering to store it in the overhead compartment for him.

Looking pleasantly surprised, Kurt handed it over with a "thanks," and climbed into his seat.

Blaine worked on shoving the luggage in the too-small storage space above them. As he arranged and rearranged the bags, he tried to think of things to say to Kurt. Kurt was just so beautiful and well put together that Blaine felt like he would sound like an idiot no matter what he said. He decided on asking him how the ride over had been, and tried working up the courage to spit out the words.

By the time Blaine had his carry on situated and slid back into his seat, though, Kurt was already asleep in the chair next to him, and _oh my_ , how adorable was he when he was sleeping?

Slightly relieved that he didn't have to speak now, Blaine settled in, pulling out the magazine from the back of the seat in front of him and began to read. Sort of. It was very difficult to focus on reading when the cutest boy he'd ever laid eyes on was squished into an airplane seat right next to him. When that boy's mouth fell open just a sliver, letting out a puff of breath. When that boy wiggled around cutely to find a more comfortable position. When that boy's sleeping head rolled to a rest right on Blaine's shoulder. Oh, forget the magazine. Kurt was sleeping. ON HIS SHOULDER.

Part of him wanted to jump up, run up and down the aisles, and shout that _look, a cute boy is using me as a pillow,_ but that would have been a little counterproductive.

That may have been an extreme reaction, but Blaine was the type of person who just wasn't happy without physical affection. Unfortunately, being as painfully shy as he was, Blaine often did not receive the hugs and touches he craved from others. His parents, naturally, had always been that source of affection for him growing up, but with the distance between them and their strained relationship, they obviously did not provide that comfort anymore.

Sam, poor, loyal Sam, was the only person Blaine was really close to these days. And bless his heart, over the past three years as Blaine's roommate, he had willingly volunteered himself as Blaine's snuggle buddy (with limitations, of course) when Blaine was having a particularly rough day.

But as much as Blaine appreciated him, Sam was Sam. His cuddles were comforting, but they didn't make his blood race through his veins. Sam was good-looking, but he didn't make Blaine's heart jump into his throat (not to mention Sam's utter straightness). Sam was a boy, but he wasn't _a boy._

Kurt was _a boy._ He definitely was. And Blaine's yearning for physical closeness was more satisfied simply by Kurt's head resting on his shoulder than it had been in a long time. It was funny how the prospect of speaking to the guy was so terrifying, but touching him wasn't. Blaine shrugged one shoulder (the one Kurt was not leaning on), knowing his mind worked in mysterious ways.

Strangely at ease as he hadn't been while Kurt was awake, and exhausted from the busy day spent running on little to no sleep, Blaine leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

* * *

Kurt awoke many hours later with a terrible cramp in his neck. He took inventory of his surroundings, quickly recalling that he was, after an insane string of events, on an airplane traveling to Hawaii. His head seemed to be wedged between two hard yet oddly comforting surfaces. Not wanting to move yet, despite the pain in his neck, Kurt breathed in the scent around him and his brain immediately matched it to one he had smelled only once, but could never forget. He must have fallen asleep on Blaine's shoulder, and it appeared that Blaine, in turn, had fallen asleep on him.

Blaine, who was cute and chivalrous and a total surprise. Blaine, who was such an enigma to him so far. In the short time since they had met, Blaine had gone from a polite, excited boy who spoke enthusiastically to all of America about meeting Kurt, to a quiet, reserved, boy who did not say much of anything. What could have caused the drastic change in Blaine's behavior? Maybe he just needed time to adjust to the situation they'd been thrown into. Or maybe he was trying to deal with the physical pull that was such a strong presence between them. Kurt definitely was.

He needed to stretch his neck, but didn't want to disturb the boy next to him. He placed a hand lightly on Blaine's forearm that rested between them, deciding he would give himself a little more time to try to figure Blaine out. He had promised Rachel he would try, but even more than that, Blaine seemed like a really nice guy, and Kurt owed it to himself to try.

The captain's voice blaring overhead caused Kurt to jump. It announced that they were about to land, reminding everyone to fasten their seatbelts and ensure their tray tables were stored away.

Kurt gave Blaine's arm a small squeeze, and Blaine blinked his eyes open blearily.

He saw the exact moment Blaine realized they had been sleeping on each other. His eyes grew round and his mouth fell into a small 'o' as he straightened out, putting as much space as he could between them.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to - I mean - I'm sorry I-"

"It's okay, Blaine. I'm pretty sure I invaded your personal space first. The blame is all mine. Plus, I didn't exactly mind," Kurt flirted.

 _Where the hell did_ that _come from?_ Kurt hadn't meant to say anything like that, and judging by the terrified look on the other man's face, it hadn't been the right thing to say either. He just seemed to be unable to help himself around the dapper gentleman next to him. If only he could get a handle on Blaine to know how he was feeling.

A blush rose up Blaine's face. "Sorry," he said again, lamely.

Kurt watched him for a while, trying to figure him out, before deciding it was a lost cause at the moment, and turned his attention to the in-flight movie playing on the screen in front of him.

Before he knew it, the plane landed and they disembarked, Blaine retrieving his and Kurt's luggage like the polite man he was proving to be.

Through the terminal and past baggage claim (where Blaine appeared shocked at Kurt's abundance of suitcases), they were loaded into a car and taken to their resort.

The car ride over was spent in silent wonder, watching the beautiful sights that passed by through the window. Neither boy had been to Hawaii before, and they were astounded by the scenery around them.

A short while later, the car pulled up to a gorgeous gated property. Kurt had previously had no interest in visiting Hawaii, since lounging on a beach all day wasn't exactly his idea of fun. He had to admit, though, The Big Island was beyond anything he had ever seen. It was beautiful.

He watched in amazement as the car came to a stop in front of a small, elegant villa. They were let out in front, a butler appearing to assist them in unloading their baggage.

"Fancy," he mouthed to Blaine, impressed.

"Right this way," the butler showed them inside.

They were led through the doors to a spacious, open multipurpose room. A fully stocked bar lined one wall, aside a television and opposite a couch. Behind all of that was a large, plush bed with a towel folded into a pineapple resting on top.

Another door led to the sleekest bathroom Kurt had ever seen. There was a jacuzzi tub in front of a full glass wall that revealed an outdoor shower area.

Back in the main room, a final door opened up to the outdoor lounging area and a private pool, which led straight to the outdoor shower, all just feet from the beach.

This place truly was paradise.

It was only when the butler left the room that Kurt even remembered that Blaine was there, too.

He froze upon seeing Blaine's face. He looked sick.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, feeling like he should reach out to comfort the other boy. "I think everything is gorgeous. Do you hate it?"

Blaine opened and closed his mouth once before answering. "There's only one bed."

Kurt wanted to laugh and also to hit himself upside the head at the same time. How could he have been so insensitive to that? Blaine was still looking sickly and pale at the prospect, and Kurt realized that Blaine might be even more embarrassed about intimacy than he was. Or maybe Blaine was just terribly shy? That would explain how he had been acting...

He reached out to touch Blaine's shoulder, but thought better of it and his hand flopped down by his side.

"It'll be alright, Blaine," he told the petrified man who still stood, mid-step, in the middle of the room. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch."

Blaine visibly relaxed. "Thank you," he uttered, looking much more at ease. Yet he still didn't say anything else.

Kurt was starting to become frustrated with his silence. He was starting to think that perhaps Blaine didn't care for him much. That would also explain how he had been acting.

Atop the bar counter sat an itinerary for the two of them.

"No rest for the wicked," Kurt smirked, waving the sheet in the air for Blaine to see. "We're booked."

They were scheduled for a dinner that night where they would be filmed asking icebreaker questions to each other. The rest of the week they had a helicopter tour of the island (filmed), more dinners on the beach, hikes (filmed), water activities (filmed), a luau, and plenty of beach time.

He supposed GMA was planning to compile moments from their date to air on their show as a follow-up to their story.

Kurt thought about discussing it with Blaine, but Blaine did not seem particularly inclined to carry on a conversation (in fact, he looked downright uncomfortable), so Kurt headed toward where the butler had stowed his luggage. "I'm going to freshen up and get ready for dinner," he announced before disappearing into the bathroom, hoping a shower could wash away his doubts about how Blaine was responding to him.

The shower worked to calm his nerves, and by the time he left the bathroom, Kurt planned to give Blaine another chance without allowing any previous interactions to influence the future of their relationship.

Blaine quietly took Kurt's place in the bathroom to prepare for dinner, and in twenty minutes, they were standing, dressed to impress, staring at each other.

"You look really great," Kurt tried.

Blaine mumbled his thanks. His hands fidgeted by his sides. Kurt sighed, plopping onto the couch, humming random notes under his breath.

Luckily their butler saved them from their awkwardness with his knock on their door.

"Hello Mr. Kurt and Mr. Blaine. I will take you down to the beach for your dinner."

They followed him on a short walk to where a table was set up with lights and cameras all around.

A sign was perched on their table.

 _Reserved_

 _Anderson_

 _Hummel_

A completely unexpected thrill ran through Kurt upon seeing their names written like that. He shook off what that might mean as one of the cameramen they had become familiar with over the past day came up to them.

"Hi guys. We want some footage of you on your first date. We have a bowl full of icebreaker questions on the table and we will record you asking each other a few questions before your dinner arrives. We will start rolling as soon as you sit down."

Blaine and Kurt walked the last few feet to the table. The wait staff that greeted them there pulled out their chairs for them to sit.

The second they sat and the recording lights turned on the cameras, Blaine's entire posture shifted. He sat taller, made eye contact with Kurt, and a smile spread across his face, though it didn't touch his eyes.

 _What the hell?_ Kurt wanted to eye him suspiciously, but the cameras were on, so he just smiled pleasantly. He dragged the glass bowl with strips of paper in it toward him and chose one from the pile.

"Are you a morning or a night person?" Kurt asked. He wasn't sure how he expected Blaine to answer after how little he had said so far today, but whatever he was expecting, Blaine's response was surprising.

"Morning person, hands down. Early to bed, early to rise!" He flashed a winning grin.

Who was this person, and what had he done with the Blaine that Kurt had spent the day with?

"What about you?" Blaine asked him in return.

"Night person. I have such a hard time getting out of bed in the mornings."

Blaine laughed knowingly. "My roommate Sam is the same way. I have to drag him out of the house when he has classes before noon." He reached for the bowl of questions. "My turn. Where did you grow up?"

"The small town of Lima, Ohio. Most people have never heard of it before."

"I have," Blaine replied with bright eyes. "I grew up in Westerville."

"Westerville, _Ohio_?!"

Blaine nodded in confirmation.

"What a small world!" Visions of the two of them visiting home together plagued Kurt. His eyes darted to the _Anderson Hummel_ sign again. He picked out another question. "What's your favorite smell?"

Blaine breathed in deeply and sighed, as though he could smell it right then. "Freshly ground coffee beans."

Kurt chuckled. "I love that smell as well. My favorite is my mother's perfume, like lilacs and summertime. It reminds me of my childhood." He made himself stop talking before he could become emotional.

They continued on for a few more turns, Kurt thoroughly enjoying himself and finally feeling like he and Blaine were falling into the familiarity that felt so natural between them. But then the cameras shut off and the crew said their goodbyes, and Blaine changed back like a switch had been flipped.

The waitstaff approached then, bringing the first course. Over appetizers, Kurt asked if they should continue the game, uncertainty nagging at him.

Blaine agreed, but after the first two questions, Kurt cut it off. Blaine was giving quiet, one-word answers, a completely different person than he had been a few minutes earlier.

So they ate in relative silence, Kurt turning over thoughts in his head. Everything was clear to him now. Blaine obviously had a problem with him, but wanted to keep up appearances for the camera. What had Kurt done to turn him off? Should they call off the entire thing and go home? Kurt wasn't sure he could handle an entire week of being given the cold shoulder by someone who obviously despised him.

He had given Blaine his second chance. He was not about to allow his heart to be jerked around again. Tomorrow, he would confront him.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 5**

The sound of birds singing their cheerful tune accompanied rays of sunlight beating into the room and waking Blaine the next morning. He stretched out and rolled over, only to fall flat on his back on the ground.

 _Ouch._ He had forgotten his ploy to steal the couch from Kurt while he was brushing his teeth last night. There was no way Blaine was going to take the bed while Kurt slept on the couch, but Kurt had insisted, so Blaine resorted to setting up camp there while Kurt was otherwise occupied. Kurt had given up his fight upon seeing Blaine's contented smile, unwilling to be the one to wipe that smile off his face.

A laugh came from the other side of the room, and Blaine sat up to see Kurt giggling at Blaine's mishap behind his hand.

"I thought you were 'hands down a morning person.'" Blaine scrambled to his feet, detangling himself from the blanket around his legs and straightening out his pajamas. His hands flew to his hair in a hopeless attempt to smooth down the unruly curls.

Across the room, Kurt's usually upright hair flopped lazily and he blinked sleep from his eyes, but he somehow still managed to look amazing. _How unfair._

"I am. Good morning."

"It's hardly morning," Kurt scoffed.

Blaine looked at the time on his phone and let out an exclamation of surprise. He needed to shower and dress for the day and do something with his out-of-control hair. His hands unconsciously went back to trying to tame it.

"Don't do that," Kurt said, looking up at Blaine through his eyelashes. "You look adorable."

Did Kurt just say...Wait. Was Kurt _flirting_ with him? Blaine would never be able to talk to him now. Even if Blaine could come up with exciting things to say, he had less than zero idea how to flirt. He wanted to tell Kurt how amazing he looked (now and always), but it would surely sound stupid coming from his mouth. Instead, he just blushed profusely and ducked his head.

"We have to be ready to leave for our helicopter tour at noon. You can have the bathroom first. I'll order brunch. What do you want?" Kurt asked.

Something about Kurt offering to order breakfast to him felt so domestic and natural. Flashbacks of every fantasy he'd ever had for the future came to him at once, and it hurt, knowing that he'd never have the gall to even talk to Kurt freely, let alone share the future with him.

"Oh, um...whatever you're having is fine, thanks." He pardoned himself and backed into the bathroom with his suitcase, glad to have an excuse to take a moment to collect himself.

Kurt was so kind and perfect that had Blaine not been a bumbling idiot, it would have been extraordinarily simple to form a solid friendship with Kurt, and potentially even a romantic relationship, if somehow, the fates could be impossibly swayed in his favor. Not for the first time, Blaine hated how introverted he was. If only he could just be outgoing like his brother or Sam or his father or _Kurt_ , maybe something good would happen to him for once.

 _Don't fuck this up,_ Sam's words played back in his head.

 _I don't see how,_ Blaine thought hopelessly. _I don't see how._

* * *

They both finished their morning routines right on time, Kurt emerging from the bathroom looking like a god just as their butler knocked at the door with trays of food in tow.

"Shall we eat outside?" Kurt offered, motioning to the door that led to their patio.

Blaine nodded and held the door open for Kurt and the butler, sitting down in the little outdoor dining area as their butler left.

"I ordered waffles and yogurt and fruit and granola. I hope that's okay," Kurt told him.

"Mhmm," Blaine mumbled, mouth already full of food.

Kurt eyed him carefully, poking at his food but not eating it. "So what do you think of Hawaii so far?" He tried.

"It's nice," was all Blaine could think of to say. He loved everything about it, from the weather to the gorgeous flowers everywhere to the fresh pineapple juice that was always readily available. He wouldn't ever have chosen Hawaii as a vacation destination on his own, but he was so glad he had ended up there anyway. Of course, he couldn't tell Kurt any of that, because it would result in inane rambling and what would Kurt care about what went on inside his head, anyway?

Tropical bird songs drowned out the silence between them, mingling with the occasional sound of their dishes clinking.

"Why don't you like me?" Kurt's question came out of nowhere.

Blaine dropped his fork and the crash of metal on ceramic cut obtrusively through the air.

"Why don't I - _what?!_ " He knew his mouth was hanging open, but didn't know how to make it shut.

Kurt, for the first time since they had met, looked sheepish and sad.

"You don't want to talk to me, and when I start conversations, you always give short answers like you're brushing me off. You don't have to like me, but I guess I'm just wondering what I did wrong. I thought we had a connection yesterday morning…" he trailed off and worried at his bottom lip.

Blaine's heart dropped. Kurt thought he didn't like him. How had this gone so terribly wrong? He took a deep, calming breath and gathered his courage, shooting an earnest look into Kurt's eyes and cringing at the uncertainty and vulnerability he found.

"Nothing. You haven't done anything wrong. I don't dislike you. It's - it's quite...quite the contrary actually." His breathing was quick. He had just told Kurt he liked him in not as many words. _Breathe. Courage._ Kurt waited for him to continue. "Kurt, I - I'm extremely introverted. That's all. It's not you, I promise."

Kurt had yet to look relieved, though. "But you shut me out when we're alone, and then as soon as a camera appears, you're talking and laughing like everything is great. You become an entirely different person. You don't...you don't have to pretend this is going well just because of the cameras. We can call the whole thing off, you know. I would hate for you to be stuck here with me all week just for the sake of the viewers at home."

The look in Kurt's eyes told Blaine that he had been hurt before. He wanted so badly to reach out and put a comforting hand in Kurt's.

"I'm a performer, Kurt. When I'm in front of the cameras, my shyness doesn't matter because I'm acting. That's why you noticed a difference in my behavior. I'm not that brave, confident person when I'm just being me. It takes a while for me to get to know someone well enough to truly open up to them."

Kurt's eyes locked with his. Blaine's heart gave out a little.

"Then act."

"What?" Blaine wasn't sure what Kurt was saying. It may have been the fact that his brain was clouded with visions of the ocean-like depths of Kurt's eyes.

Kurt clarified. "It doesn't take a camera to act. When you're with me, I want you to act like you know me and you feel comfortable around me. So act it."

"It's that simple?"

"Try it."

Blaine closed his eyes for a split second to draw on his character. His shoulders straightened, and an excited buzz filled his body as he felt the rush of the alternate persona taking over. When he opened his eyes, he knew it had worked.

"It's that simple." Blaine returned to the conversation about Hawaii. "It's nice here, and I'm glad they sent us, because Hawaii wouldn't have even been in my top 3 destinations."

Kurt looked astounded at the difference in Blaine. He was also a seasoned actor, though, and he quickly rearranged his features and jumped right into the conversation. "Me either. But you're right. It's perfect here. What would your top 3 have been?"

While they ate, they fell into an easy discussion of travel where they realized a mutual appreciation for Europe, where all six of their top destinations were located.

Partway through Blaine raving about a falafel restaurant in Paris that was "to die for," Blaine interrupted himself when he noticed the funny look on Kurt's face.

"What? Do I have strawberry seeds stuck in my teeth?"

"No, your teeth are...perfect, actually…" Kurt blushed. "I just...this is nice. Isn't it?"

Blaine smiled softly at him. "It's really nice." After a moment's pause with both boys lost in their own thoughts, he resumed his ranking of falafels, and things carried on from there.

With each piece of information exchanged, Blaine felt more comfortable with Kurt, piecing together his date one tidbit of information at a time. At the same time, with every flirty comment or stunning smile Kurt threw his way, Blaine grew more intimidated by him.

The conversation flowed effortlessly as the boys finished their breakfasts, hopped in the car, and rode over to the helicopter site, covering topics from their majors and degrees to which season of the Bachelorette was the best (Blaine said three, Kurt maintained that ten could not be beaten).

By the time they arrived at the helicopter pad, they were laughing freely and Blaine couldn't help but to think how brilliant Kurt's suggestion had been. He liked Kurt even more now than he had thought possible. His wit and intellect were infectious, and every time one of his jokes made Kurt laugh, Blaine wanted to jump out of the car and run a victory lap. Acting like he knew Kurt well enough to talk to him and joke around with him was surprisingly easy. Blaine suspected he would be able to drop the pretense of acting in no time, if it was not for Kurt's flirting game, which was _strong_. Blaine blushed just thinking about it.

"Aloha!" A woman in a pilot's outfit greeted them.

Seeing the helicopter right in front of him, reality sunk in for Blaine. What a unique experience he had been given to see the island from above. He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement, Kurt chuckling at how eager he was, and when Kekoa, their pilot and tour guide, fitted them with their headsets and strapped into her seat, Blaine was buzzing with anticipation.

He glanced over at Kurt to share how much he was looking forward to the tour, but the smile fell right off his face seeing how sick Kurt looked.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked worriedly.

Kurt closed his eyes and admitted, "I'm afraid of heights."

"Uh oh. Do you want to cancel? There's still time. We can let them know we changed our minds."

Kurt gave Blaine a baffled look. "You would do that for me? You're so excited about this."

"Of course. There are plenty of other cool things we can do instead. You shouldn't have to sit through a two hour helicopter tour where you're uncomfortable the whole time. Should we let them know?"

After a short pause, Kurt shook his head resolutely. "No, I want to do this."

"Here we go!" Kekoa warned them as the helicopter lifted off the ground.

Kurt let out a pained sound and threw his head back against his seat.

"You sure?" Blaine asked. "It's not too late."

Kurt focused on his breathing, hands gripping his pants. "No, I just need…" But he couldn't articulate what he needed.

Blaine, in a leap of faith, slipped his hand across the gap to Kurt, who gratefully latched on.

For a moment, Blaine forgot everything. He forgot the role he was playing, he forgot his insecurities, he forgot everything except for how amazing it felt to be holding hands with Kurt, who seemed to relax as the helicopter rose higher.

Blaine looked down at the rapidly shrinking town below him. Suddenly, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He groaned and put his head between his knees.

Hands still clasped together, Kurt checked in to see what was going on.

Without lifting his head, Blaine explained. "I have really bad motion sickness and I forgot to take my Dramamine earlier. It's in my pocket. Can you reach it? If I move, I'll vomit."

Kurt, pushing aside all embarrassment at reaching into Blaine's pocket ( _whatever you do, do_ not _think about how close you are to touching his dick, Kurt!_ ), handed over the small pill to Blaine, who swallowed it down.

A few minutes later, when Blaine tentatively peeked his head up, he saw Kurt giggling. He sent him a questioning look.

"We're the two worst helicopter tourists ever. I'm afraid of heights, you're motion sick..."

"At least we're not both at the same time. That would be a deadly combination!" Blaine laughed along with Kurt, feeling infinitely better.

Kekoa's voice rang through their headsets. "We are now approaching the Kilauea Volcano, which has been erupting continuously for the past 35 years."

Gripping Blaine's had a little tighter, Kurt leaned forward slightly to see the volcano in all its glory.

"It's gorgeous," Blaine said emphatically.

They flew over lava badlands, a magnificent waterfall, sea cliffs, everything. Kurt did not release his grip on Blaine's hand until it was time to unbuckle from their restraints, and when he did, Blaine immediately started plotting other ways to take Kurt up high again just for another excuse to hold his hand.

* * *

By the time they returned to their villa, both boys were still in awe of what they had seen, and could not stop talking about their favorite parts of the tour.

"So are you glad you went through with it?" Blaine asked, nudging Kurt's shoulder as they stood around the bar in their room, sipping on drinks that Kurt had mixed up.

"Absolutely. Blaine..." Kurt took one last sip, draining his drink and set the glass back down on the counter gently. "Thank you. I don't think I could have done it without you today. You make me feel...comfortable." _In a way nobody else ever has,_ he refrained from adding, because the admission even scared Kurt.

"You're welcome. It was a great experience and I'm so happy I could share it with you. Thank _you_ for keeping me from puking all over the place. That would have really put a damper on the whole trip."

Kurt grinned. "Just to be clear, if you _ever_ vomit on my clothes, this friendship is over."

"You mean you wouldn't rub my back and nurse me to health?" Blaine jested.

"I'm not saying that. I'm just pointing out that even in the throes of illness, your aim better be spot on." Kurt laughed, pushing off from the counter. "I'm going to change for dinner. We're supposed to be on the pier in 30 minutes, right?"

Blaine confirmed, and they took turns cleaning up. Thirty minutes later, they were boarding a private catamaran for a dinner cruise.

The boat set sail across the water with the sun dipping lower in the sky, casting an array of colors across the horizon. Wind breezed through their hair and ruffling their shirts as Kurt and Blaine sat on the deck of the boat, waiting for their dinner to be served, and the boys felt more carefree and relaxed than they haD been since they arrived in Hawaii.

Kurt was having an amazing day. Being with Blaine was such a breath of fresh air. Kurt felt like he could so easily give himself over to Blaine, and while he loved the feeling, it was frightening. Especially because he knew Blaine was acting. If Blaine wasn't giving his true self, or only part of his true self, Kurt couldn't bear the thought of finding out after the fact that the real Blaine didn't like him. Kurt was not in the business of getting hurt again. He had to protect his heart.

But he just couldn't help himself when the chemistry between them (him and whichever version of Blaine it was he was seeing) was undeniable.

"How do you feel about petty theft?" Kurt asked, a smile creeping across his lips.

"I feel like that could be a setup. Are you asking me to steal something?" Blaine joked.

Kurt shook his head. "The thieving is already complete."

"What did you take, and from whom?"

Kurt laughed. "I love that you know the proper use of who and whom."

"Ah, yes. My nerdy qualities are what draw in the droves of men that are interested in me." He rolled his eyes.

"I don't doubt that."

"You should. It's a joke. No men are interested in me, and there are definitely not droves of them. But that's beside the point. Tell me what you stole!"

Kurt looked like he wanted to argue Blaine's statement, but gave up and reached into the bag he had brought with him, pulling out the bowl of icebreaker questions from the previous evening.

Blaine gasped. "That is official GMA property, Kurt. I am appalled!"

"As if you've never stolen anything before. I have it on good authority that you've been stowing away the soap and shampoo bottles from our bathroom since we've arrived."

"I won't tell if you don't tell," Blaine held out his pinky.

Kurt hooked his little finger through Blaine's. "Deal."

They didn't disengage their fingers from each other for a long time, and when they did, Kurt wrapped his hand around Blaine's atop the table.

Blaine looked down at their joined hands and back up at Kurt, who smiled at him, heart expanding.

"I thought we could try again with the questions, now that it's easy for you to talk to me," he suggested.

"I'll start," Blaine reached into the bowl. "What is your favorite-" He cut off, spitting as he choked on the words, eyes bugging out of his head and tearing his hand out of Kurt's to clap it over his mouth in horror.

"What does it say?" Kurt was curious. He leaned over to where Blaine held out the strip of paper for him to see.

 _What is your favorite sex position?_

Kurt's reaction mimicked Blaine's. "I swear I did not put that question in there!" He squawked.

Blaine seemed to have recovered somewhat. "I know you didn't. This is totally Sam's fault."

"Your roommate?" Kurt recalled the name from an earlier conversation.

"The one and only. I just _knew_ when he was chatting it up with the camera guy that he was up to something. Meddling little bastard shouldn't ever be left alone."

Kurt's hand reached out for Blaine again with an amused smile. Something about Blaine's touch was irresistible. "Sam sounds funny."

"He sure thinks he is, anyway. No, Sam is a great guy. He's my best friend. But he has made it his mission the last few years to dictate my love life. He's obviously terrible at it since even with his help, it's completely nonexistent."

Kurt stored that knowledge away eagerly.

"Rachel is a meddler too. But with her, it's mostly about my education or career. Not sure if that's better or worse. She's had a run on Broadway already, so she considers herself the resident expert. I know she means well, though."

"Why do the people we love so much have to be so irritating?"

Kurt shrugged. "Clearly because we want to punish ourselves."

"That's the only reasonable explanation."

Silence fell for a moment before Blaine spoke again. "So. What's your favorite sex position?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 6**

"Kurt. Kurt!" a voice called as he was shaken gently awake. He blinked one bleary eye open, taking in his surroundings to orient himself. As he did, a content smile spread across his face. Waking up and remembering he was in Hawaii with a very handsome guy was the best part of every morning.

"Hey, sleepyhead. There's breakfast on the table outside. I ordered french toast. Hope that's okay."

"Ssgoo…" Kurt mumbled into his pillow in a much lower voice than usual.

Blaine chuckled, then left the room when Kurt waved him off so that Kurt could have a few minutes to collect himself before joining Blaine on the patio to eat.

He rolled back over, thinking about Blaine with another grin. The difference in their relationship from the previous morning was staggering. It may have been silly, but after just one day, Kurt felt like Blaine was one of his closest friends. He could truly be himself because Blaine embraced his quirks. Being around Blaine was _fun_. He had never had a friend like that, even in Rachel.

 _That's because you don't want to kiss Rachel,_ a voice in his head said, and that was the other thing. It was unfamiliar to Kurt, this deep attraction to another human. He constantly wanted to be near Blaine, and he had to be on 'round-the-clock watch of his tongue, lest he let slip how badly he wanted Blaine's mouth on his.

It was safe to say that Kurt was enjoying the way their friendship had progressed so that it actually felt like they were on the dream date that GMA intended. If anything was certain, it was that things had shifted significantly between the two men. Kurt wondered if Blaine could feel it, too.

Not long after Blaine left the room, Kurt, looking slightly more presentable but still adorably disheveled, ambled outside to where Blaine was serving food onto plates.

"What a great way to wake up," Kurt said, stretching the sleep from his bones with his arms over his head.

Blaine's eyes watched indulgently as his lithe limbs elongated, a fact Kurt did not miss. "I'm not sure there's any bad way to wake up when you're on vacation in Hawaii." Blaine's neck flushed when he realized Kurt caught him looking, but Kurt just shrugged with a knowing smirk.

"Maybe when you fall off the couch you're sleeping on," Kurt teased.

"Okay," Blaine conceded. "Maybe then."

"You know, it's not really fair for me to sleep on the bed every night. Maybe we could switch halfway through the trip?"

Blaine shook his head. "No way. I'm happy on the couch. You spend more time sleeping than I do, anyway, so based on that alone, you should get the bed." Kurt stuck his tongue out at the jibe. "How can a person even sleep so much?"

Kurt pointed to himself. "Do you see this face? It's called beauty sleep." He couldn't help but to crack a smile.

Blaine raised an eyebrow, appraising him, then nodded in satisfaction. "But if what you're saying is true...I don't sleep nearly as much as you do. What are you implying?"

"Certainly not that you aren't beautiful…" A blush bloomed on Kurt's cheeks as he trailed off, losing his boldness halfway through the phrase. He looked up nervously at Blaine, who seemed to be mulling over Kurt's blatant flirting with a blush of his own, accompanied by a small smile.

A thrill ran through Kurt at the flirty turn things had taken.

"So...what's on the agenda for today?" Kurt asked, desperate to change the subject.

Blaine, who had the schedule sitting next to him, seemed pleased when he read whatever was written there.

"Beach lounging today. Water activities later. Looks like we can choose from paddle boarding, surfing, snorkeling, or kayaking. Any of those sound appealing?"

"I would try anything. It's all new to me," Kurt admitted. "How about you?"

Blaine scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "My parents had a timeshare in Mexico growing up. I've done them all, actually."

"Of course you have," Kurt said.

"What does that mean?" Blaine asked curiously.

"Only that you're good at everything. It's not fair to us common folk."

"Whatever. I am not."

"I bet I could name anything and you'd be great at it."

"You're on. There are plenty of things I'm terrible at."

"Playing piano."

Blaine choked on his juice. "Do-over. I'm a piano performance major at Juilliard."

Kurt's eyes bugged out of his head. "Fine. Writing music."

"Uh...I'm double majoring in piano and composition."

Kurt laid down his silverware and put his hands flat on the table. "Wow. I feel immensely inadequate. This is a horrible game. Whose idea was this?"

"Yours," Blaine laughed.

"I revoke all of my game-choosing rights from here on out. I also revoke your right to be awesome at literally everything."

"You don't have to do that," Blaine began. Kurt was sure Blaine was going to dismiss his praise once again. "I'm fairly content with being perfect, thank you very much."

It was Kurt's turn to choke on his drink. After catching his breath, he took another sip to help control the residual tickle in his throat.

"Did you put alcohol in my juice?"

"Mine too," Blaine nodded proudly.

"Blaine! It's ten o'clock in the morning! Are you trying to get me drunk today?"

The returning glint in Blaine's eye was wicked.

* * *

Blaine was in heaven. Or hell, depending on how he looked at it.

Kurt, clad only in a small pair of swim shorts (though admittedly, the ones he wore were smaller), was sprawled out on a lounge chair next to him on the beach. Under the pretense of browsing magazines, Blaine spent much of the morning staring in wonder at the beauty of shirtless Kurt. As the morning stretched in into early afternoon, the drinks were freely flowing, and Blaine forgot to be subtle with his glances. On multiple occasions, Kurt caught him looking, causing Blaine to blush furiously and look away. It was payback, though, when Blaine found Kurt pretending to be asleep behind sunglasses, but really staring at him instead.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm feeling slightly intoxicated right now, and I can't bring myself to care."

Blaine understood. The buzz of the alcohol warmed his stomach and all but removed his sense of dignity. He felt the character he had been playing slip away, gradually replaced by happy, sappy, drunk Blaine.

He was having the best time on this vacation date, loving every second of getting to know Kurt, and flirting with him. Especially the flirting.

"Kurt," Blaine brazenly admitted, "I am so glad I'm here with you, and I'm so thankful you came up with the idea of me acting, because I really like talking to you. You're pretty great."

Kurt smiled at the compliment, then frowned. "Are you still acting?"

Blaine nodded apologetically. "I have to. You make me nervous. You are way hotter than any other guy I've talked to, and you flirt with me. Regular Blaine would shit his pants talking to you."

Kurt laughed loudly, but his expression was still conflicted. Blaine wondered if he shouldn't have been so honest, but again, his filter was essentially gone. He reached across the gap between their chairs to hold Kurt's hand, which grabbed back, squeezing lightly. It felt so right that Blaine's chest grew warm and he felt a little floaty. Still holding on, both boys drifted off to dreamland.

That is how their camera crew found them later in the afternoon.

Waking up to a cute boy's hand in his and finding that he was still pleasantly buzzed from the drinks he'd had earlier was probably the most fabulous way to wake up, according to Blaine.

He noticed the familiar cameras and smiled, shaking Kurt's hand slightly.

"Hey guys," he greeted.

"Looks like things are going well here," one of the men teased. "Who's ready to get in the water?"

"Five more minutes," Kurt mumbled sleepily.

Abruptly, Blaine was out of his chair, scooping up Kurt and throwing him over his shoulder to carry him toward the ocean. Kurt squealed all the way, suddenly very much awake.

"Please don't throw me in," Kurt begged when Blaine was waist-deep. "I trust you. Don't break that trust by betraying my wishes."

Blaine, touched, set him down gently, feet first, and opened his mouth to say something, but Kurt knocked his legs out from under him, effectively dunking him under the water.

Spluttering, Blaine surfaced.

"You did not just do that!"

Kurt was smirking evilly, but his grin was quickly wiped away as Blaine retaliated, lunging toward Kurt to pull him down as well.

Soon, both boys were drenched and laughing so hard their sides hurt.

"Truce?" Blaine finally called, holding out his hand.

Kurt shook it, trying to catch his breath. "Truce."

With a goofy smile, Blaine shook his head vigorously so that water sprayed everywhere.

"Your hair," Kurt said quietly, looking at Blaine like he'd never seen him before.

Blaine ran a hand through his curls, silently cursing his mother for passing it down to him. "Oh I know, it's awfully unruly. Thank you, genetics!"

"No, that's not what I was going to say at all," Kurt looked down shyly.

"Oh! What then?"

"Never mind," Kurt slowly backed away a couple steps, wading through the chest-deep water.

"Tell me," Blaine matched him step for step.

"Nope."

"I'll make you," Blaine continued his pursuit.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Kurt dove into the water and swam away.

Blaine shrugged, diving in after him and taking off.

Kurt was fast, but Blaine had countless hours of practice swimming away from Cooper's torment. He had a hold of Kurt in 30 seconds. Kurt was slippery, though, and he wriggled out of Blaine's arms as quickly as he was caught. The chase-catch-wriggle cycle continued until they were out of breath again, and they collapsed against each other on the sand.

"Quality footage, guys," the cameraman called out, holding his thumbs up, which sent Kurt and Blaine into fits of giggles again.

Blaine felt amazing. Rejuvenated, refreshed, and the most carefree he could remember being in the past few years. The sun beat down on his face, the sand was hot under his back, the waves lapped at his toes, and above all else, Kurt was by his side. He turned his head to the beaming boy next to him.

"You make me feel like a kid again. That was so much fun. Thank you."

Kurt's fingers wrapped around his. "You're right. That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

Kurt found himself being pulled up by the hands to a sitting position.

"I hope you're ready for more," Blaine said in a singsong voice, nodding to the pile of equipment to their left. "It's time to learn how to kayak."

* * *

It had been another amazing day in Hawaii. Kurt had continued to goof off with Blaine while they tried the various water activities, and they were so exhausted from their day of fun in the sun that they promptly fell asleep as soon as they returned to their room. That evening, they ordered food for delivery and camped out on the sprawling double lounge in their private cabana to eat, drink, and watch the stars.

"How many drinks is this for today?" Kurt asked Blaine as they clinked their glasses, toasting to Hawaii and meeting each other.

"Eight? Nine? Not so sure…" Blaine trailed off, deep in thought about his mixed drinks while Kurt set their empty dishes on a tray on the ground.

"What should we do tonight?"

Kurt pressed his lips together in consideration. "Let's play a game."

Blaine scoffed, remembering the game they played earlier that morning. "Okay, but you don't get to choose."

"Oh yes I do. You reserve your right to continue being amazing at everything, so I reserve my right to choose the game."

Blaine's eyes rolled up to the sky. "I am not amazing at everything." But his voice was resigned, knowing that it was pointless to argue Kurt on this point.

"Says the guy who can hold a headstand for an indefinite amount of time on a paddle board…"

"So maybe I have a few tricks up my sleeve. But I can't even hold a conversation with a stranger."

Kurt's eyes lit up and he thrust a fist into the air. "Yes! There _is_ something you're not good at! I mean," he amended, placing a hand on Blaine's forearm. "I'm sorry that you have so much anxiety about talking to new people, but I am so glad there's something you can't do. It's good to know you aren't a robot."

Blaine moved his arms jerkily in a bad robot impression, sending Kurt into a bout of laughter.

"There's another thing you're horrible at!"

"Why do I have the feeling I'm going to find a piece of paper lying around the room keeping track of all of my flaws?" Blaine joked.

"Shit! I'll have to remember to hide that…"

They each took another swig of their piña coladas.

"So. Kurt. What's the game we're playing?"

"Truth or dare?"

"No way. Are we in eighth grade again?" Blaine laughed in disbelief.

"Hey," Kurt defended his choice. "Isn't today all about throwing back to when we were kids? Why not, Blaine?"

"Okay, then," Blaine leaned forward into Kurt's space, both hearts stuttering as he did. "Dare."

"I dare you to take two shots of tequila."

"Easy." Blaine ran back into the house and returned with three shots. Two for him, one for Kurt.

"This is your dare, not mine!" Kurt protested.

In a courageous gesture, Blaine held out the underside of his arm to Kurt, showing him the line of salt.

"Still want to turn it down?" His voice was suggestive. Kurt knew an arm was a relatively innocent body part, but as he licked the salt away, Blaine's arm suddenly felt like the most erotic body part of all time.

Kurt allowed Blaine to reciprocate as he took his shots, perfectly mimicking the shiver that ran through Blaine when he licked his arm.

So the game went. Neither wanted to be the first to choose truth, as it felt like a cop out, so dare after dare was handed out, the sexual tension between them growing as the night went on.

When Kurt had called their butler to ask for him to deliver lube and a mega pack of condoms, Blaine had gone skinny dipping in the ocean, Kurt had joined another couple's candlelit dinner, and Blaine had streaked down the beach (Kurt's dares had a real penchant for getting Blaine naked), they settled back down into their cabana with a bottle of champagne that was being passed back and forth between them.

Blaine leaned back against the wall of pillows behind him, and Kurt followed suit. Their arms brushed together, and Kurt felt his heart start to race. He heard Blaine's breath catch in his throat, as it had been doing all day every time they touched.

The day had been perfect, and he suspected that Blaine had something - _everything_ \- to do with it. Two days ago, he had promised Rachel he would give Blaine a chance. Now, his heart was the one that didn't have one. How rapidly Kurt was developing feelings for Blaine was scary, but for the first time in his life, he was ready to embrace the fear.

Taking yet another leap of faith, Kurt rolled onto his side, propped up on his elbow, close enough that his hair fell into Blaine's face. Blaine wet his lips, and his eyes were shiny and bright beneath his alcohol-heavy lids, staring back at Kurt with a magnetic freshness and vulnerability. If nothing up until then had proven it, Kurt now knew he was a goner.

"Truth or dare?" Kurt whispered.

"Truth." Blaine's low voice sent shivers down his spine once again.

"Wrong. Dare. I dare you to kiss me."

Blaine shuddered. "I don't think that's how you play," he breathed.

Kurt's lips were an inch from Blaine's. "Fine. Truth. How badly do you want to kiss me?"

Blaine couldn't answer. He was frozen in place, the sound of his heavy breathing filling the air.

"Show me," Kurt prompted.

Blaine found his voice. "You're not allowed to take two turns in a row."

Moving in slow motion, Kurt kissed Blaine's cheekbone. "Ask me, then."

Blaine's hands snaked their way around Kurt's waist, reveling in the heat they discovered through his thin shirt.

"Truth or dare?" Blaine asked, pulling Kurt closer yet.

"Dare." Kurt's voice came out even steadier than he had hoped.

"I dare you to kiss me so hard I forget my name."

Closing the distance between their faces, Kurt eagerly fulfilled the dare, punctuating the perfect day with a perfect ending.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 7**

 _Flooded senses. Full body tingles. Free falling. Thought obliterating._

 _There weren't enough beautiful words to describe kissing Kurt. Sure, it was a little sloppy due to the copious amounts of of alcohol they had ingested throughout the day, but if Blaine could imagine the perfect moment, this would, without question, be it._

* * *

Waves crashed gently against the shore, creating a soothing ambiance as Blaine rose to greet the day. Last night, he and Kurt had fallen asleep outside in their cabana, still tangled in each other. Rather, Blaine had fallen asleep. Kurt had passed out mid-makeout session.

Excitement coursed through Blaine as he recalled the events of the previous evening. He chanced a look at the sleeping figure adjacent to him and was not disappointed to find he remembered every moment of the night in vivid detail.

Kurt's hand, which currently lay still on his shoulder, had roamed his body, snuck under his shirt, hitched his leg up, tugged lightly at his hair. Kurt's neck, which was on display, Blaine had not been able to resist. It was so soft and kissable and smelled strongly of Kurt— one of Blaine's new favorite smells. Thankfully (or maybe regrettably?), it appeared that he had not left any marks there in his drunken ravishing.

Blaine continued his inventory of the most alluring parts of the man he had spent the night kissing senseless. Kurt's hips, which were propped up against Blaine's leg, his chest, which trapped Blaine's arm beneath it, his mouth, which was slightly parted...Blaine could not have chosen a favorite body part of Kurt's if his life depended on it. He had officially hopelessly gone over the edge for Kurt with no sign that he would ever come back up.

Shaking Blaine from his reminiscence, the other boy stirred with a groan.

Blaine watched as Kurt woke and a smile spread across his face as he recalled how they had spent the night. The pleasure was short-lived, though, and as the residual effects of the alcohol set in, Kurt's smile soon turned to a frown.

"Oh my god, have I died and gone to hell?" His voice was scratchy and rough and way too hot for its own good. "I can't imagine you'd be at my side in a place like that, but I feel like I've been smashed by a truck, so by power of deduction, I've decided that must be where I am." Kurt buried his face into Blaine's neck, wallowing in his pain. "I'm so sorry I'm crushing your arm, but if I move, you will have the lovely task of cleaning vomit off of your chest. I don't think I've ever been this hungover before."

"Have you ever drank for twelve hours straight?"

"No, but I think it was those extra tequila shots that did me in."

Though he felt bad that Kurt was suffering, Blaine couldn't help the stirring in his pants at the memory of said tequila shots.

* * *

 _Kurt was very skilled at kissing, Blaine assumed. His first and last kiss had been in ninth grade, so he really had nothing to compare it to, but he was doing his best to imagine. They both had hold of the other's hips, pulling them as close together as humanly possible, erections brushing against each other as they let their hips grind along to a rhythm that was out of their control._

 _Blaine had never imagined that it could feel so good. Correction: he had definitely known that it would feel good in_ that _way, but had not known that physical intimacy could make him feel so emotional._

 _The only thought that filled his mind was how quickly he was racing toward the finish line, and how badly he wanted it and everything else with Kurt, and Kurt alone. Kurt, however, seemed to have other plans, because he pulled away, putting a few inches of distance between the two of them._

" _Cool it," Kurt whispered frantically. "Too close."_

 _Blaine nodded. He could respect Kurt's wishes. Kurt must have seen the disappointment in his eyes, though, because he perked up._

" _Is that bottle of tequila still out here?"_

 _Blaine produced the offending glass container, and salt and limes, too, from behind him. "What did you have in mind?"_

 _Kurt grabbed both items from his hands and set them nearby. He started unbuttoning Blaine's shirt, hands lingering over the gorgeous chest he revealed. Blaine couldn't really breathe between the anticipation and the extreme arousal he felt, but he was totally fine with that. Death by Kurt was absolutely the way he wanted to go. He nearly had a heart attack when Kurt dipped one finger into the tequila and trailed it down his chest, then sprinkled it with salt. Kurt poured a shot and held it up to show Blaine, eyes dark and full of a challenge._

 _Blaine nodded, throwing his head back as Kurt's tongue laved over the trail on his chest._

 _He was not sure how this was 'cooling it,' but he would not be complaining._

* * *

"...yeah, those were something else."

Kurt grumbled in agreement, squirming on the lounge, letting Blaine know he, too, was remembering the night fondly. "But they've left me nearly incapacitated. How are you okay right now?"

Blaine shrugged. "High tolerance, I guess."

A man carrying three yoga mats walked up toward them on their stretch of beach, waving their direction. Blaine fought the urge to laugh out loud at Kurt's misfortune.

"Uh, Kurt? Remember last night when you thought it would be a good idea to book a private yoga session on the beach for this morning?"

"No."

"Well you did."

"Shit."

Many, many attempts at convincing later, and Blaine had finally dragged Kurt down to the beach, where they were doing sun salutations.

Despite being incredibly hungover, Kurt was holding his poses as if he had been doing yoga all his life. He might have been, for all Blaine knew. Next to Kurt, Blaine must have looked like a full-fledged idiot, losing his focus and falling out of poses left and right. Blaine had actually done yoga multiple times, but this particular session had something that his others hadn't: Kurt. Shirtless Kurt. Shirtless, muscular, downright delectable Kurt.

In the mid-morning sunlight, Kurt's skin glowed as he stretched into inconceivable positions that showed off his lean muscle. The beads of sweat that formed on his neck and chest to accompany his intense concentration made Kurt impossible not to look at.

Halfway through his chaturanga, Blaine almost collapsed on the ground because of how amazing Kurt's arms looked. He silently thanked the appropriate power that Kurt was so absorbed in his yoga that he didn't notice Blaine's too-obvious obsession with watching him. The instructor, Honi, however, was a completely different story. As Honi pushed through to upward-facing dog, he sent Blaine a pointed smirk before moving to the next position.

The rest of the hour was sheer torture as Blaine attempted to center himself and ignore the glorious creature to his left. He failed more often than he succeeded, much to the amusement of Honi.

When they gave their "namaste" gestures and rolled up their mats, he winked at Blaine before turning to Kurt and saying, "Hey, Kurt, your form is beautiful. I think _everyone in the class_ was really impressed."

Kurt glanced at Blaine and blushed.

Before things could get worse, Blaine steered Honi toward where his car was parked.

"Well, that was a great class. Thank you! Please leave now!"

Kurt and Honi laughed.

Blaine held out his hand. "In all honesty, thank you so much for coming to us this morning after we tried to hire you via a drunken midnight phone call. We really appreciate it."

"Any time, Blaine. Call me if you want to do it again!"

"We will, but maybe we won't drink so much the night before, next time."

They waved him off, laughing together, and wandered back to their cabana.

"That was just what I needed. Sweating it out is always the answer," Kurt sighed happily. Blaine nodded. Kurt sweating it out was definitely the answer for him. "But now I need a shower," Kurt complained.

"I've got a better idea," Blaine jerked his head toward the ocean.

"Race you!" Kurt took off, tearing across the sand to the water and splashing in until he was in up to his neck.

Blaine was right on his heels, dipping his head under water and throwing his hair back upon surfacing.

"How majestic," Kurt laughed, but his heart did not seem to be into it.

"What's going on?" Blaine asked.

"It's nothing. Just looks like it might rain later. Maybe we should take our trip into town a little earlier than planned."

Blaine agreed, but he was not convinced that nothing was going on with Kurt.

They splashed around for a few more minutes before deciding to head inside to prepare for the day's excursion.

"Hey," Kurt said quietly, nudging Blaine's arm as they walked up the beach. "You were easily talking to Honi back there. Why is that?"

"Oh," Blaine shrugged, "I was already in character, so I wasn't really thinking about it."

He noticed Kurt's shoulders visibly slump at his words. "You're still acting, then?" The hurt in Kurt's voice was plain as day.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying. I really am."

"Even after last night?"

"I...I wasn't acting last night." Blaine realized for the first time the truth behind that statement.

"Great," Kurt snorted, speeding up his steps. "You either have to act like someone else or be drunk just to talk to me."

"Kurt," Blaine called fruitlessly after him. "It's not like that! I'm sorry! It's the one thing about myself I can't change. And I desperately want to. For you!"

Kurt disappeared behind the bathroom door with a sad smile and an "I know."

 _Shit._

* * *

"I was completely out of line," Kurt apologized when they reunited after their showers.

"It's okay—" Blaine began aloud, sending silent thanks up to the sky, but Kurt spoke over him.

"It's not. So I'm sorry. I'm just very protective over my heart."

 _What does that have to do with anything?_ Blaine wondered.

"You're forgiven," he said simply. He couldn't imagine ever staying angry with Kurt.

Kurt reached over and shyly took Blaine's hand, causing the other man to laugh.

"There's no need to be bashful, Kurt. You licked lines of salt off of my body last night," Blaine winked at him.

Kurt dropped his head. "Please don't bring up the tequ—" he cut off, unable to say the word without gagging.

"I promise I'm not laughing at your pain. In a few days, you'll think it's funny, too."

"Wrong. Never." Kurt laughed, though.

"Okay, but aside from all that, you have to admit that yesterday was awesome." Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and was rewarded with a brilliant grin. "I am having so much fun with you. It has been amazing getting to know you."

Kurt's smile faded to sadness again. "Yeah. I wish…" he trailed off and never finished his thought. "Yeah."

Not one to pry, Blaine let it go. He shrugged it off as he pulled Kurt toward the door. "Let's go check out downtown!"

Kurt's fingers were at the small of his back, guiding him outside so he could lock up, and Blaine was transported to the previous night.

* * *

 _Kurt's fingers were at the small of his back, guiding him to a sitting position, the other hand pushing the tequila, salt, and limes to the ground. A flare of intense desire ran through Blaine at the idea of Kurt taking charge, but was broken up by a giggle as Kurt unceremoniously dumped himself into Blaine's lap. Blaine's hands helped maneuver Kurt's legs to wrap around his waist, and Kurt's arms followed suit around his neck, swiftly reinstating Blaine's feeling of longing._

 _Suddenly, Kurt was kissing him with complete abandon, and suddenly, Blaine could perfectly imagine himself and Kurt in this exact position, just without all the clothes, and again, Blaine thought he may just die from how badly he wanted Kurt at that moment. Then, just as suddenly, Kurt was laying his head on Blaine's shoulder, and he was fast asleep._

 _Chuckling to himself, Blaine moved the two of them down on the lounge and stretched out the best he could while wrapped in the passed out boy who had only seconds before been making out with him passionately._

 _Happily, he thought to himself,_ I could really get used to this.

* * *

Watching Blaine walk through the streets of downtown Hilo like an excited little puppy felt bittersweet. Kurt was beyond frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he just be happy with what he had been given? So what if Blaine had to act around him? He was right; it was something he couldn't change. Kurt shouldn't hold that against him. He was so torn between just letting it go and enjoying himself, and putting distance between them until Blaine could be himself.

He pondered the choice while they wandered the spectacular farmers market. Kurt purchased as much as he could; fruit and baked goods and jewelry and gorgeous artwork. Blaine left with nothing in his hands save for a bouquet of bird of paradise flowers, which he gave over to Kurt with a "for you, good sir," and a kiss on the cheek, taking some of Kurt's shopping bags in the process to lighten his load.

Kurt had to stop himself from literally swooning in the middle of the street. How was Blaine even real?

 _He's not,_ he chastised himself. _He's in character._

Still. Acting or not, this was the nicest any guy had ever been to him, and Blaine was blowing his dating expectations out of the water, so Kurt finally settled on enjoying it without letting his intrusive thoughts get in the way.

"Man," Blaine commented, pretending to be weighed down by Kurt's bags. "What did you buy?"

"I had to pick up souvenirs for all of my friends and family. I found things for my dad, Carole, Rachel, Brittany, Elliot...still need to find something for Santana, though. She's a bitch to shop for. It's very fitting, actually."

Blaine's eyes were wide. "That's a lot of people. Are they all family?"

"More or less," Kurt smiled. "I consider most of my friends to be family these days. How about you? Who are you bringing souvenirs back for? Can I help you look for anything specific?"

Blaine pulled a small, wrapped package out of his pocket, which turned out to be quite the feat since he had to juggle Kurt's bags around on his arms in order to do so.

"I bought Sam a necklace that he will love when we were back at the market. I'm good."

Kurt refused to accept that answer.

"What about everyone else? Parents? Siblings? Other friends? Don't you want to get something for them?"

Blaine shifted uncomfortably, slipping out of character for the first time. "No," he stated with an air of finality.

Kurt caught on immediately, apologizing.

"It's not my place to ask, I'm sorry. I'm not judging you, I promise. Do you want…do you want to tell me about it?" He sat down on a bench alongside the road and motioned for Blaine to sit next to him, pulling out a bag of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts for them to share.

Blaine sat and chewed on his snack before opening up.

"There's not much to tell," he said honestly. "You know how introverted I am. It's really hard to make friends that way. A lot of people think I'm nice, but I'm too quiet to get to know people well. Sam is the only person I would consider to be a friend to me, really. Well, now I have you, too." His cheeks blushed bright pink. "As for my parents and my brother, I love them. I do. It's not that we don't get along, even. It's just that we don't...not get along."

"Sounds lonely," Kurt said in a quiet voice. He was blown away by the sincerity that rolled off of Blaine in waves. He wondered if he was talking to the real Blaine, or if this was still him in character. It had to be the former. Kurt allowed himself to believe, and to soak up every second of honesty.

As if Blaine was afraid to say so, he nearly whispered his next words. "I've never felt less alone than I do with you."

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt's heart was on an actual roller coaster. There could be no other explanation for how it swooped when he saw the expression on the other man's face. It had to have mirrored Kurt's own expression, which was one of comfort, affection, and a little bit of fear.

They said no more, but finished off the bag of treats together, sending coy smiles back and forth all the while. Eventually, spotting the ever-darkening clouds in the sky that drew nearer and nearer, Kurt and Blaine moved along from the bench, off to find a gift for Santana.

It was a long endeavor, and an hour or so later, the boys tried to find their way back to where they had parked.

Distracted by their conversation (which had perked up noticeably and now bounced from topic to topic), they found themselves on an unfamiliar street. The stores were closed and looked as though they had been for some time, and there was little to no traffic. It was still midday, but the imminent storm darkened the sky, making the scene more ominous than it should have been.

Hoping to make a turn back toward where they started, they came upon a dim alleyway.

Leaving no time for rational thought, Kurt's body shut down. Words directed at him sounded like they came from underwater, and someone was shaking him, but he couldn't move.

Kurt had been there before. He had disappeared down that alley and not emerged until paramedics wheeled him away to the hospital. He had been seriously beaten in that alley, by hateful, abominable people. He never wanted to see that alley again. He wanted to run and never look back, but he couldn't move.

"Kurt! Kurt!" The words became clearer as he slowly came back to reality. The hands shaking his arms were Blaine's. _Blaine._ Blaine was there. The alley was not the same as the one in New York. He was in Hawaii, with Blaine. Kurt felt an inexplicable sense of safety.

"Jesus, Kurt, you're scaring me!" Blaine searched his face frantically for any sign that Kurt was okay, placing a soft hand on Kurt's cheek.

Instantaneously unfrozen, Kurt flung his arms out and around Blaine, who reciprocated in confusion, holding tight to the boy who could hardly control his breathing.

Blaine started to pull away after a minute, but Kurt's hands balled up further in his shirt.

"Not yet," he pleaded.

Their shopping bags littered the ground by their feet, and they must have looked ridiculous, hugging in the middle of the sidewalk like they had just been told the world was ending, but they did not care.

"Are you okay?" Blaine spoke softly into Kurt's ear.

"I will be. Let's get back to the car."

Kurt was beyond thankful for Blaine's uncanny new ability to sense what he needed, because he did not think he would have made it to the car without Blaine's arm wrapped around him, providing a steady, comforting presence.

Blaine, ever the dapper gentleman, opened the car door for Kurt and helped him in before sliding into the driver's seat himself and taking Kurt back to their villa in thoughtful silence. He offered his hand out to Kurt, where it stayed locked in his vice grip for the short ride.

* * *

The rain started to fall just when they pulled the rental car up in front of their villa.

Blaine carried in the bags and sat Kurt down on the couch, moving his pillow aside. He poured two mugs of Kona coffee and brought one over to Kurt, plopping down next to him.

"Want to tell me what happened back there?" Blaine asked gently.

"It seems silly now," Kurt prefaced, "but that alley we were standing by? It looked just like the place where I was attacked two years ago." The words came out in a rush, like Kurt was afraid that if he didn't say them quickly, he wouldn't say them at all.

Blaine looked at him with the question in his eyes.

"Hate crime," Kurt explained. "I was in the hospital for a few days. I've long since gotten over it, but seeing that alley that looked so much like the other…it took me right back there and caught me off guard."

"I understand," Blaine rubbed Kurt's knee. "More than I wish I did. It happens to me, too, sometimes. In parking lots."

A moment passed as his words sunk in.

"Who would ever want to hurt you?" Kurt asked, peering at the innocent boy over his steaming cup of coffee. Tears glistened in Blaine's eyes as he gazed back. Kurt was so grateful to have found someone else who understood, but imagining Blaine in pain at the hand of an ignorant monster was almost too much. He blinked back tears of his own.

"Thank you for being there for me earlier," Kurt said, covering Blaine's hand with his own. He smiled that same sad smile. "It's times like these that I feel like I'm seeing the real you."

"Why does that make you sad?" Blaine questioned.

Kurt took a breath. He might as well lay it all out now, since Blaine was asking.

"Because...because I don't know what's real and what's your character. I want to be free to just... _feel_ with you, but I can't let myself do that. I've been hurt too many times before. I have to protect my heart."

Blaine's big eyes looked into his soul. "You said that earlier, too. What does it mean?"

How could Kurt deny those eyes?

"It means I like you, Blaine. It's only been three days, but I really, really like you. I just can't. I don't want you to have to act with me forever."

"I told you, I'm trying. It's getting easier," Blaine said, and it sounded like a plea. He was clearly as scared of losing Kurt as Kurt was of losing him.

"So you're saying that some of what I'm seeing is the real you?" Kurt was almost too afraid to believe it could be true.

Blaine still seemed confused. "What?"

Kurt pulled his hands into his lap, curling in on himself slightly. It was too late to go back now. All he could do was be honest, and hope that Blaine didn't hurt him like all the others before him.

"I am scared that the guy I'm falling for isn't really you. I'm terrified that when you can finally drop the act, you'll be someone different than the person I've come to adore over the past few days. And I don't think I could handle—"

"Kurt," Blaine's eyes flared with hope, reaching for Kurt's hands again. He looked like he was about to jump up and dance around the room, and Kurt had no idea why. "I am so sorry that I haven't been clear enough with you. The guy you've gotten to know? That's me. Even though I'm acting, everything that I've told you or that we've shared is 100% genuinely _me_ , just bolder and more confident."

Kurt was dumbstruck. "Are — are you fucking serious? I've been so worked up over nothing?" He held onto Blaine's hands tightly, just in case it was a joke and he tried to pull away.

Blaine grinned. "Sounds like it. Now...tell me more about how you're falling for me."

Kurt playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up." He seemed lost in thought as he sipped on his coffee. "So all the things you've said…" he trailed off, thinking specifically of Blaine admitting he didn't feel lonely with Kurt.

"All true. Very, very true." Blaine gasped in surprise as Kurt threw himself into a hug.

Kurt relaxed into Blaine's hold, finally feeling like all of the pieces were falling into place.

Sooner than either would have liked, they separated. Both boys stared at each other, seeing with more clarity now.

"Today has been so emotional. Can we go back to how fun and carefree everything was yesterday?" Kurt asked eventually, placing his mug down on the end table.

He could see the idea forming in Blaine's mind.

"How about a little swim in the rain?"

Without warning, Kurt stripped off his shirt, trying his damndest to ignore Blaine's stare on his bare skin, and walked backward out of the room, winking at Blaine on his way out.

Blaine followed eagerly to their private pool, jumping in with a splash that made Kurt shriek.

With that, they swam in the rain. And if they ended up kissing more than swimming? Well, who was keeping track?


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Big thanks to GleefulDarrenCrissFan for helping out with this one. Go check her out if, for some crazy reason, you haven't yet!**

 **And don't forget to go say hi on the story I'm beta reading for, Breathe Again by Beautifullybroken23. Go spread the love, beautiful people!**

 **Last thing! I'm not sure how timely the last few chapters will be, because I'm starting a new job in the next few weeks, and in the meantime, I'm working my hardest to make the transition easier for my coworkers and the families I serve. For those of you who've read Beautiful Words or have talked with me about what I do** **and know how much I love my job** **, don't worry! I'll still be doing the same thing, just closer to home.** **:)**

 **Now, wi** **thout further ado...**

 _ **Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 8**

"Hey, it's me."

Kurt, pretending to still be asleep from his place in the bed, listened to Blaine speak into the phone in a hushed voice. He had woken just a minute ago to the sounds of Blaine fumbling around across their room, clearly attempting to be as quiet as possible. Had Kurt woken only five minutes prior, he would have found himself blissfully wrapped up in Blaine, who had fallen asleep at his side the night before, his makeshift bed on the couch readily abandoned in favor of curling up with a more than willing Kurt.

Kurt sighed, sad but reasonable, knowing that since Blaine was an early riser, he couldn't be expected to stay in bed all day. He would have to make it a point to wake up earlier tomorrow if he wanted to get his morning cuddle session in.

Kurt strained his ears as Blaine stopped talking briefly to listen to the voice on the other end. Who was Blaine calling this early? And why was Kurt still listening instead of falling back asleep?

"Yes, it's Blaine. Who else would 'me' be, Sam?"

Ah. _That's_ why he was listening. Kurt fought the urge to sit up in bed, alerting Blaine to his awakened state. That would only ruin the perfect opportunity at his fingertips: the opportunity to hear Blaine interact, completely as himself, with his closest friend.

They bantered back and forth for a while before Kurt heard what he had secretly been listening for: his name.

"Of course I got you something. I found it when I went into town with Kurt yesterday...Excuse me, that is _not_ what I sound like when I say his—...Things are going well. Great, actually." Blaine sighed in resignation. "I really like him, okay?"

Kurt's heart gave a funny leap. Blaine had admitted to having a good time on their extended first date, but it was another thing completely to hear Blaine tell his best friend about it when nobody else was listening. When _he thought_ nobody else was listening, anyway.

"Stop! I am not telling you that...Don't you tell me what I _have_ to do...Anything? Fine. He has a pair of blue yoga pants that are just like the ones Cute Yoga Boy has...I refuse to objectify him like that...Okay. Just once. No, his ass doesn't look as good as Cute Yoga Boy's."

Kurt pouted into his pillow in disappointment, hopes sinking. He valued his and Blaine's emotional connection above all, but he still wanted Blaine to find him attractive.

"...it looks so much better!"

Kurt almost kicked his feet around in excitement, but stopped himself just in time.

"He's _gorgeous_ , Sammy. He's — well, you've seen him...I have not forgotten that you're not gay. I'm actually usually the one reminding you of that...Okay, you 'seriously not gay' creep. Stop asking me things like that. Kurt is so much more than his amazing body. He's funny, and sassy, and so much fun to be around...If you don't want to hear it, then stop asking. _Excuse me_ for being a romantic…No, I don't know the answer to that. I guess I will have to wait and see."

Kurt was tensing every muscle in his body to stop himself from doing a happy dance. Blaine liked him. He liked the way he looked and he liked spending time with him. Even talking to one of his "bros," Blaine was still sweet about Kurt, unlike others he had dated, who were either vulgar when talking about him, or acted completely differently than when they were with him. Every move Blaine made proved just how different he was from the rest. The best part of it all was hearing how Blaine acted with Sam. It was not too different than he was with Kurt, and it solidified Blaine's claim that he had been himself the whole time.

Kurt almost missed the end of their conversation because he was so happily wrapped up in his thoughts.

"I miss you too. I'll see you in a few days. Maybe when I get back I'll have a new man to get my cuddles from. You might be off the hook…'Kay. Love you too, bro. See ya."

Kurt heard Blaine set down his phone and stand. He felt the dip of the mattress as Blaine sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Are you awake?" he asked softly.

Kurt rolled over and stretched, pretending to have just woken up.

"Mmm. Who do you love?" he asked, acting like he had only caught the last few words of the conversation.

"Oh, sorry if that woke you. I thought it would be nice to check in with Sam." Blaine laughed at something unspoken. "He insists that if we say we love each other, we have to add 'bro' or 'man' to it."

"Keeping straight men straight," Kurt nodded with a sleepy smirk.

"Sam will be the first to tell you how straight he is, but he's always the one who offers up cuddles…"

Kurt could see how happy Blaine was when he talked about his best friend. "He sounds like a great friend."

"Oh, he is. He's a huge goof, but he has a big heart." Remembering why he had come to wake up Kurt in the first place, Blaine said, "It's time to get up, sleepyhead. We've got to get ready to go meet the film crew. Volcano hike today."

"Okay. I…" Kurt bit his lip, feeling quite timid all of a sudden as he pulled the covers tighter around himself.

Blaine, who was sitting cross-legged next to where Kurt was lying, poked his chest.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the shy one here, not you. Out with it!"

Kurt smiled, though a blush still colored his cheeks.

"Is it too forward of me to say that I was hoping I could wake up in your arms again today?" His heart beat erratically while he awaited Blaine's response.

"Is it too forward of me to do this?" Blaine crawled under the blanket and spooned himself right up next to Kurt, who hummed in satisfaction. "Never be afraid to ask for snuggles. I am the world's biggest cuddle whore."

Kurt giggled against Blaine's front, and Blaine willed himself not to get (more) turned on.

"We've only got about ten minutes, and then we have to get going, Okay?"

"M'kay," Kurt agreed.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Kurt dragged himself away from Blaine's hold, coercing him to follow ("Blaine! The ten minute rule was _yours_! We have to get to the hike location _now_ , or GMA will...I don't know...deport us or something!").

They each threw on what they deemed to be appropriate hiking clothes — Kurt in those damn yoga pants and a loose fitting T-shirt and Blaine in gym shorts and a tight athletic top — and ran out the door with bagels hanging out of their mouths.

In the car on the way to the meeting spot, Blaine looked over to Kurt, frown lines creasing his face. "I'm wondering if—I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but—can we maybe downplay things between us a little bit?"

Kurt looked like Blaine's words had destroyed his whole world. A dagger stabbed through Blaine's heart just at the sight of his expression, and he wanted to take his words back. He waited, though, and when Kurt spoke, it was in a quiet, high voice. "I—sure, if you think that's best. I mean, I know we've only known each other a few days and maybe we're moving a little fast, but I thought things were going well?" He sounded hurt and so unsure of himself that Blaine almost slammed on the brakes and hugged Kurt for the rest of eternity. Instead, he took Kurt's hand.

"God no. Please don't be—of course they are. Things are going extremely well, Kurt. You're just perfect. I only mean in front of the cameras. I'm a pretty private person, and I don't know that I need all of America seeing that far into my relationship with you."

Kurt placed a hand over his heart in an attempt to slow it down. He had honestly thought Blaine wanted to call it quits. And then to hear Blaine say 'relationship' like they had a Capital R Relationship...his heart might just have stopped from overexertion.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Blaine apologized, rubbing his thumb over the back of Kurt's hand. "But is that okay? The privacy thing, I mean?"

Kurt nodded emphatically. "Absolutely. Just friends as soon as the cameras turn on."

 _Just friends._ Could that mean—Did Kurt think of them as more than friends? They _were_ dating, technically. Maybe that is what he had meant. Blaine decided to chalk it up to that and stop dwelling on the matter.

But it became immediately apparent as soon as the hike began and the cameras turned on, that it was more than that. Up until that point, Blaine and Kurt had not realized how much they had come to rely on the touches and flirty comments from each other. However, as soon as those things were taken off the table, both boys missed them like a piece of their hearts had been taken away. Blaine found Kurt staring at his hand as though he wished he could take it in his own, and more than once, he reached out to brush Kurt's cheek or hair, or to tug Kurt closer to him, only to pull back when he remembered they were deliberately keeping their distance. He knew, just _knew,_ like it was some innate part of him, that Kurt felt the same way.

Aside from their difficulty keeping their hands to themselves, the hike was wonderful. The guide for the small group they were with talked them through the history of the volcano, and the types of animals and plants they encountered along the way. It was nothing short of beautiful.

Still, everything became infinitely more enjoyable the moment the camera crew announced they had enough footage, and would be leaving. Like two magnets, Kurt and Blaine's bodies came together, the distance between them shrinking to nothingness as they wrapped arms around each other's waists in unexpected relief. The last remaining cameraman raised an amused eyebrow at them, but his smile let them know he understood.

They bent their heads together, talking in low voices about all of the things they had refrained from saying when they were being filmed, like how the color of the birds were the same gorgeous shade of blue as Kurt's eyes, or how the humidity was causing Blaine's hair to curl more than normal and how badly Kurt wanted to run his fingers through it.

A middle-aged man and woman in their tour group kept peeking over their shoulders to shoot glances at the two of them. Kurt was the first to notice, and he squeezed Blaine's side, jerking his head slightly to indicate the pair. Blaine was no stranger to homophobia, but had gotten used to how liberal everything was in New York. But he had also never had a boy to walk hand in hand with before to garner unwanted glares. It made his stomach sink to think that people could be so harsh to something so beautiful. How could anyone be rude to someone as amazing as Kurt?

They both brushed off the looks, but refused to separate. They would not apologize for wanting to be close to the person they cared about.

But as the looks grew into whispers, Kurt must have been feeling the same way, because he finally snapped.

"Is there a problem?" he asked the couple, an unmistakable edge to his voice.

The man and woman blushed in embarrassment and shook their heads.

"Excuse us for staring, but are you Blaine Anderson?" the woman spoke.

Blaine was taken aback, not at all expecting that response. He suddenly felt overwhelmingly timid and shied into Kurt's side a little, nodding his head to answer the woman who had spoken.

"It's so nice to meet you, I'm Julie and this is my partner Marco. We're Cooper's talent agents." She smiled brightly and stuck out her hand for him to shake, which he did hesitantly.

"What—H—how?" Blaine couldn't find the right words to say what he wanted. Luckily, Kurt was the most amazing person on the planet, and he stepped in.

"What a small world! How did you recognize Blaine?"

"Oh," Julie gushed, "Cooper talks about you often. He has a picture of you in his wallet and tells anyone who will listen about how you're studying music at Juilliard."

"No way," Blaine muttered under his breath. He knew his brother. His self-absorbed, pompous brother who had never given him a direct compliment in his life. He would have been more likely to believe her if she had for him that scientists proved the world was actually flat.

"You better believe it. He's very proud of you, Blaine."

"We all are," Kurt beamed at her as Blaine turned bright red, squeezing Kurt's hand.

"Again, we're sorry for staring, we just couldn't believe it could be you."

"Great to meet you," Blaine said quietly with a small smile.

"And we're sorry for jumping to conclusions. Most of the stares I get when I'm out in public with another man are unfriendly. I apologize," Kurt spoke up.

Blaine nodded by his side, relieved that Kurt was taking the lead so he didn't have to worry about stumbling his way through saying something stupid.

"It sucks that things have to be that way," Marco offered. "Especially for a couple as handsome and vibrant as the two of you. Don't let anyone dull your light." He winked at them before he and Julie turned to face the guide, who had started to speak again.

They had arrived at their destination in the middle of the crater, and the guide was pulling out a bag full of packaged lunches for the hikers.

"You go grab our lunches and I'll find a place for us to sit," Kurt instructed Blaine, rubbing his shoulder blade as they parted.

A minute later, Blaine was joining Kurt on a large, flat rock formation situated far enough away from the rest of their group that they could be seen, but not heard. He handed Kurt his lunch box and opened his own, digging into the sandwich hungrily. He ignored the fact that his mouth was full of food, and he began to talk about the encounter with Julie and Marco.

"It's so strange that they would recognize me because of Cooper. I haven't told you much about him, but even though he's my brother and I know he loves me in an obligatory familial way, he's never gone out of his way to show his love or support for me. He kind of sucks up the attention when we're around my parents, so _they_ don't even notice me. I almost can't even believe Julie. That's how farfetched it is to me."

"Well you should believe her. It seems that Cooper really does support you. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show it." While Kurt listened to Blaine and spoke in return, a funny smile adorned his face.

"What?" Blaine asked, convinced that such a smile could only be the result of Kurt laughing at him for doing or saying something dumb.

Kurt seemed to debate for a second. "It's nothing. Just thinking about how sweet you are. You don't even realize the effect you have on the people around you."

Blaine nudged Kurt's knee with his own.

" _You're_ the dazzling one. 'Don't let anyone dull your light,'" he said with a wink, perfectly mocking Marco's voice and facial expression.

They laughed with their faces close together, reveling in the joy of sharing the joke with the other. It felt very intimate for the pair, and very, very long overdue.

"It's funny, isn't it, that things have done a complete 180 since we started?" Kurt asked, setting down his empty sandwich wrapper.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that when we met, you were too shy to talk to me in real life, but acted like you liked me in front of the cameras, and now you like me in real life and are acting like you don't in front of the cameras." The strange smile was back on his face. "I'm glad it's the way it is now, for the record."

Blaine shrugged. "It's been—you make it easy for me. You make me want to forget everything and just be myself around you."

The air around them went still. Kurt's next words were loaded. "When did you stop the act?"

"I didn't—" The breath left Blaine in a tidal wave, because _Kurt was right_. Blaine had told Kurt the day before that when he was in character, it was easy for him to talk to other people as well. Kurt must have noticed how shy Blaine was around Julie and Marco and how comfortable he was around him. Kurt had put together the pieces, and the revelation was stunning.

Blaine's shocked and tear-filled eyes found Kurt's, and a dam broke between them. Emotions flooded their hearts as every last barrier came crumbling down.

Without conscious decision, Blaine was throwing his arms around Kurt, kissing him with total abandon, the other boy reciprocating as though that kiss with Blaine was his lifeline.

It quickly became abundantly clear that they needed to cool it when a broken moan escaped Kurt's throat while Blaine tongued at his mouth. Still gripping each other, the boys regretfully separated.

"We have to get home," Blaine stated simply. He knew the need to unclothe and discover each other's bodies piece by piece was wrecking Kurt, too.

They practically led the hike on the way back, touching in some fashion all the while, then jumped into the car and Kurt sped the entire way home.

By the time the villa door clicked shut behind them, the air was so charged and thick with desire that it could not be ignored a minute longer.

Kurt sat on the bed to take off his shoes, but only succeeded in removing one before he was pushed backward by a pair of strong hands.

Blaine stretched out his body along the length of Kurt's, and moaned at the feeling of the other boy's warmth pressed up beneath him. As difficult as it had been for him to be comfortable speaking to Kurt, this — the physical stuff — came naturally to Blaine. He found a sense of home there in Kurt's body.

"You're beautiful," Blaine was breathless. "I could look at you forever."

" _Please_ ," Kurt said with a desperate tone, and Blaine was not entirely sure whether he was responding just to the statement, or if he was asking for more, but if it was the latter, he wanted nothing more than to give it to him.

Blaine began kissing at the point of Kurt's v-neck shirt, about halfway down his sternum, and traveled up, up, up along his neck and jaw and finally to his mouth.

They were too impatient and too taken with each other to spend much time giving only kisses, and in a matter of minutes, both boys lay in their underwear, the skin to skin contact sending shocks between them.

"This…" was all Blaine could say.

"Yep," Kurt knew exactly what he meant.

Kurt raised his head from where it was buried in Blaine's neck. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes dark with pupils blown wide, and his lips were plumped and looked sinfully delicious, and that was that. Blaine _needed_ him. His hands traveled to the waistband of Kurt's briefs, two fingers hooking underneath.

Kurt placed a hand over Blaine's, stopping him, which caused Blaine to whine in disappointment.

Kurt's chest heaved dramatically as he released a couple of grounding breaths before speaking. His eyes searched Blaine's. They seemed to be asking, begging. "I don't do casual hookups."

Blaine wanted to reassure Kurt that what he was feeling and what he wanted was anything but casual. He wanted to tell Kurt that he had never felt this way about anyone before, that he was sure he never would again. He wanted to erase any of the hurt Kurt had been dealt in the past, and replace it with the love that was threatening to burst out of his chest. But his brain was too lost in Kurt's eyes and Kurt's chest and Kurt's legs and Kurt's lips to form sentences, so he brushed his fingertips across Kurt's cheek in reassurance, said "Okay," and proceeded to remove the last scraps of clothing between the two of them

* * *

Their first time was mutual exploration. It was all sensuality and romance. It was sensory overload. It was two people uniting themselves, showing their devotion to each other, physically manifesting their feelings for each other in the most intimate way possible.

It was lips on chests, stomachs, hips, _lower._ It was hands caressing, stroking, teasing, worshipping.

It was give and take, please and be pleased. It was being exposed and vulnerable and loving every second of it. It was discovering ways to make each other writhe in pleasure, and wanting to spend every day of the rest of their lives making the other feel that way.

It was two bodies moving together in a perfect, sweaty, _addicting_ dance, crying out to voice emotions never felt before, going faster harder _justlikethat_ , coming to the edge of something indescribably divine and taking the plunge, first one and then the other, and then just floating there, suspended by cords that kept them irreversibly tied together.

It was collapsing afterward, unthinkably sated and seemingly boneless, and gazing at each other through fresh eyes, never wanting to let go.

Their first time was Kurt and Blaine, navigating the unfamiliar yet heady waters of falling in love for the first time, and cherishing every last moment.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 9**

Afterglow.

Kurt had always liked that word, but he had never given much thought to the thing itself. The word may have been beautiful, but laying there, he decided he liked the real thing even better. Especially when he was sharing it with the particularly beautiful boy at his side.

Kurt felt so deeply connected to Blaine as they lay together in post-coital euphoria. He nuzzled his head further into Blaine's chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart under his cheek. He sighed contentedly, not sure that he ever wanted to let that moment slip away.

"Is this the part where I make a joke about getting 'lei'd?'" Blaine asked, running an idle hand through Kurt's hair and breaking the sentimental mood. Kurt fought back a laugh.

"If you do, I can assure you we will never be doing what we just did ever again."

"Nah," Blaine joked. "Now that you've had a taste, you can never give me up."

"Modest," Kurt purred, despite the jibing edge the word was supposed to connote, because Blaine had started to trace one finger softly down his spine.

"How do you feel?" Blaine asked.

Kurt assessed the situation by flexing his muscles one at a time. "Amazing," he confirmed when he had finished. "My legs and arms still feel like jelly, but amazing. You?"

"Also jellified. Also amazing."

Pride was not an emotion Kurt had expected he would ever associate with sex, but there it was, warming his chest. Knowing that he had made Blaine feel the way he had felt during and after was half the appeal, and that was something new for Kurt. Something he loved.

"Side effects of the best sex I've ever had, I suppose," Kurt said with a smile and a squeeze of Blaine's hip.

Blaine dropped a kiss to Kurt's hairline just above the center of his forehead.

"Only sex I've ever had."

Kurt slapped Blaine's chest playfully. "Oh, shut up."

"I'm not joking."

Slowly, Kurt's head lifted so that he could evaluate Blaine's seriousness, then when it was determined that Blaine was definitely not joking, he promptly panicked.

"Why didn't you say something?! I could have gone slower, been more careful. You didn't seem nervous at all. You were so sure of yourself. I'm so stupid, I should have asked! But I just assumed, since you're so...you know. How is it that you've never…? Oh god Blaine, I'm so sorry. You can never have that moment back, and I royally fucked this one up." He stopped rambling when he realized Blaine was watching him with an amused smirk.

"Stop worrying. You were beyond my wildest expectations. I'm actually glad I didn't say anything, because you weren't nervous or overly worried about how it was for me. Which, by the way, I thought it was pretty damn perfect."

Kurt narrowed his eyes as if he did not believe Blaine, but Blaine only kept smiling like Kurt made him happier than anything on Earth, so he slowly relaxed. Once the initial shock wore off, Kurt felt honored and full of giddy happiness that Blaine had trusted him enough to be his first, though how someone so cute and funny and good could not meet anyone worth sharing this part of himself with until he was nearly 22 was beyond Kurt.

"I really have a hard time believing I'm the first one to snatch you up," he said adoringly, laying his head back down on Blaine's chest.

"I don't snag many dates being as shy as I am," Blaine shrugged by way of explanation.

"Sam doesn't set you up?"

"Oh. He tries, he just hasn't quite nailed down my type. He's always hooking me up with his big, bulky friends from the gym. I prefer my guys tall and lean, and with more brains than muscle. Bonus if he has silky smooth hair I can run my fingers through. Extra bonus if he prefers wit to potty humor."

"What about his voice? Does he get extra points if he can sing? Or if he has impeccable fashion sense? And what about— _mmph!"_ Kurt was silenced by Blaine's mouth. Their kiss was more teeth than lips because neither could stop smiling or laughing.

"Yes, Kurt, you're exactly my type. No need to brag. Give yourself a round of applause, why don't you?"

Kurt stuck out his tongue at Blaine.

"What's your usual type?" Blaine asked, heart fluttering under Kurt's ear.

"Unbearably cute, sort of short dorks with awesome senses of humor and great bodies."

"Oh. I hope you find someone like that someday."

Kurt giggled and tapped Blaine on the nose. "See? Dork. Let's just say you exceed the qualifying criteria." He planted a kiss on Blaine's collarbone. "Hey, want to go make use of that gorgeous outdoor shower we have at our disposal?"

"I do. Oh, I do. But can we just lay here for a while first?" Blaine asked, and how could Kurt ever deny such a request?

"That's right. Self-proclaimed cuddle whore."

"Sorry," Blaine nuzzled his nose into Kurt's hair.

"Less apologizing, more cuddling."

Kurt wrapped his arms and legs tighter around Blaine. If it had not been absolutely silent in their room, he would not have heard Blaine's next quiet words.

"You make me really happy."

Blaine had no idea. Kurt turned over on his side to face away from Blaine, who immediately spooned up behind him, placing a hand over Kurt's heart. How intimate it was, their bare bodies pressed together, taking comfort and joy in just being together as vulnerably as they were in that moment. But as vulnerable as Kurt felt, the sense of security he felt in Blaine's arms far exceeded that uncertainty.

"Blaine?"

Blaine tightened the hand around Kurt's heart in response.

"You said 'okay,'" Kurt's voice was small as he worried about what Blaine would say.

"I've said 'okay' many times in my life, Kurt. Which time are you referring to?"

"Smartass." Kurt kicked a heel into Blaine's shin, feeling some of the tension leave his body. "When we were...before...I said I don't do casual hookups, and you said 'okay.'"

Blaine pulled Kurt in closer.

"I did," he affirmed.

"Were you acting? _Are_ you acting?"

Kurt's nerves got the best of him while he awaited an answer. He felt sick thinking about what he would do if Blaine said he was.

"No."

"So this isn't…"

He felt Blaine smirk against his shoulder. "Could you classify any of my behavior since the day we met as casual?"

Kurt snorted. Just like that, Blaine had given him confidence, in that magical way that only Blaine could. He had this natural way of putting Kurt at ease, and for that, Kurt was extremely grateful.

"Fair enough."

"Kurt, I should tell you something." Blaine punctuated his sentence with a kiss to Kurt's neck.

"What?" He relaxed his body into Blaine's.

"I feel very not casual about you."

There he went again, being endearing and making things feel so simple. "Good. I feel very not casual about you, too."

* * *

Blaine was pleased to report that the outdoor shower was as fantastic as it looked. Perhaps it was the company Blaine had in the shower that made it so enjoyable, but either way...

For him, a switch had flipped, and now being with Kurt was simpler than breathing. It felt like he had finally found the person he was supposed to be with, the one he couldn't get enough of. Unfortunately, their time together was drawing to a close.

They spent the next day lounging by the water and sipping on drinks again, slipping inside more than once when their activities progressed beyond what was considered appropriate for the semi-private beach. They ate lunch in their cabana, went kayaking, and Kurt even graced Blaine with the audition song he'd been preparing. Blaine's fingers itched for a piano to accompany him. He told Kurt so, and was informed that Kurt regretted not following up on their Grindr chat sooner if only so he could have had an accompanist he knew personally during his time at NYADA, to which Blaine laughed and replied that he would gladly accompany Kurt anytime he wanted.

That evening found them laying in bed, strung out on each other and greatly satisfied. They had spent the last hour playing around and ultimately going down on each other, which it turned out Blaine was quite good at, if Kurt was to be believed.

As someone who thrived on physical intimacy, Blaine was so grateful to have found Kurt, with whom he could explore his sexuality safely and securely. He added that to his mental list of Kurt's best qualities. It was quite a long list by now.

Blaine had half-drifted off to sleep when Kurt's phone rang, making both boys jump.

"Ugh. Rachel is trying to Facetime. I've been ignoring her calls and texts for days," Kurt groaned, checking his phone screen.

"You should probably answer, then."

"But we're in bed. Naked."

Blaine whipped the covers up and over their bodies. "Problem solved. She'll never know the difference."

Kurt rolled his eyes and begrudgingly answered Rachel's video call, the camera trained only on himself from the shoulders up.

"Hi Rach."

"Kurt! Oh my god, are you naked?!"

Kurt huffed. Of course that would be the first thing she noticed. "That is none of your business."

"What are you doing? Did Blaine step out? Or are you jerking off in the room while he's sleeping or something?"

"Wow, that is so wildly inappropriate. I am not even going to answer." As usual, that did not deter her.

"You look tan and not burnt at all. You must be using the sunscreen I sent with you. That's good. Did you ask Blaine to slather it on you?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Blaine was shaking with silent giggles next to him, half because of Rachel, and half because of Kurt's priceless reaction to his best friend.

"Give it up, Rachel. I'm not giving you details."

"Ahh, so there are details to give…" she said in a conspiratorial voice.

"You're incorrigible."

"Is Blaine there right now?"

Kurt hesitated. "...Yes."

"I want to say hi to him. Hi, Blaine! Where are you?" she called obnoxiously.

"Rachel…"

"What? Show me Blaine! I want to officially meet him. Oh!" She hit her head. "You don't have any clothes on. I forgot that part. Is that why you won't get up and take me to him?"

Kurt darted his eyes to the bed beside him and Blaine gave him the smallest of nods. He shifted the camera so they were both in the shot.

Rachel's shriek was earsplitting.

"God, you're embarrassing," Kurt complained when she quieted down.

"Hi Blaine. Nice to meet you. Didn't know this meeting was clothing-optional."

"Embarrassing," Kurt reiterated.

Blaine gave Rachel a small wave, a blush creeping up his neck.

"They keep showing little snippets of your vacation on GMA," Rachel told them. "Looks like the two of you are having fun, but I never would have guessed by watching them that you're sleeping together."

"Can you open your mouth without something mortifying falling out?" Kurt hid his face in Blaine's neck. Blaine looped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in closer, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh my god you two are a-freaking-dorable. I've never seen Kurt this smitten, not even with Alex or Jake!"

"Well, it's time for us to go before you ruin everything good in the world," Kurt glared at Rachel through the camera. "Good bye. See you in two days!"

He pushed the "End" button before she could say anything else.

Kurt turned to Blaine, throwing a leg over his hip. "I am endlessly sorry for her. She doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'boundaries.'"

"She said you were smitten. Unusually smitten. Like, copious amounts of smit. Smite? Smut?"

"Yeah, I don't think any of those are right. Good try, honey," Kurt teased. "Anyway, Rachel might be crazy, but she's often right."

"Was she right this time?"

Kurt nodded carefully. "Yes. You're different, Blaine."

"First time I've heard that adjective used in a positive context."

Kurt's heart broke a little for the pain Blaine must have faced in the past due to his introverted nature. By now, though, he knew that humor was the best way to cheer up Blaine.

"Well, you're definitely weird different, too, but I wasn't going to be the one to say it."

Blaine kissed his nose with a laugh. "You wound me."

"We should probably go to bed sleep. It's late," Kurt pointed out, though he could have spent the entire night just lounging in Blaine's arms and talking to him.

"I'm not feeling very tired. How about you help me expend some of that energy?" Blaine pushed his hips into Kurt, a devilish grin on his face.

"Blaine," Kurt whined. "We've been so... _active_ that I think I'm literally going to break if we do any more." Despite his words, his body gave away his true desires.

"Maybe it's your turn to break me," Blaine whispered seductively into his ear.

"Oh hell!" Kurt threw his hands up in the air and gave in. "Okay, but if I die, you're never allowed to disclose the cause of my death to Rachel. Or my dad."

"Death by excess of sex? Not a bad way to go."

"Death by sex with Blaine Anderson. Quite possibly the best way go to."

"Not better than death by sex with Kurt Hummel."

"Agree to disagree, then. Let's just have sex and hope that no one actually dies."

"Deal."

* * *

Kurt tangled his fingers with Blaine's as they walked along the beach on their last night in Hawaii. It was a peaceful night, the water almost completely calm and the stars gleaming brightly in the sky. The boys strolled across the sand, keeping to themselves introspectively.

"Who are Adam and Jake?" Blaine asked out of nowhere, his hand twitching nervously in Kurt's.

Kurt almost stopped walking in surprise. Curse Rachel and her big mouth.

"They're two of my exes. Well, to be technical, I only have two exes. I don't have some crazy long history. Just so you know. I don't want to scare you off with that."

 _You're rambling. Stop the words from coming out of your mouth,_ Kurt reprimanded himself.

"Are they the reasons you say you don't do casual hookups?"

Kurt pressed his lips together in a tight line. "Sort of. Mostly. Are we really going to have the ex-boyfriend talk right now?"

"Should we not? I don't know, I've never dated anyone before. You have to help guide me in these things."

Kurt wrinkled his nose as he looked at Blaine. "God, you're cute. Yes, we can talk about it." He mulled things over for a few seconds before speaking. "Here's the thing...when I like someone, I tend to go all in. I'm pretty passionate about my interests, and that extends to guys I'm dating. I dated Alex my sophomore year of college and Jake my junior year. I was so in love with them. That's what I thought, anyway, but now I realize that wasn't even close to being true. I had always thrown myself into relationships head first, but I always kept a strict 'no sex until you're in love' policy. I'm too much of a romantic to do otherwise. Naturally, thinking I loved them, I slept with them. Only to find out they were both sleeping with other people. They both used the excuse that we never said we were exclusive, and I felt like the world's biggest idiot."

"That happened to you twice?"

"Yep." Kurt let the 'p' pop loudly. "After Jake, I vowed to save sex for marriage, but I'm realizing now that that may have been a little extreme."

Blaine swung their hands between them. "Sorry to make you break your vow."

"Well, if the right person comes along, I guess…"

Blaine's smile was wide and bright.

"Don't worry. I can steadfastly confirm that I am not seeing anyone else, nor do I plan to in the foreseeable future."

Blaine was really something else. He pretty much constantly found a way to make Kurt happy, even if he was not aware that he was doing it. "Good. That's really good."

They slipped back into a comfortable silence as they rounded the bend that put their villa in sight. Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, sensing that Blaine was deep in thought.

"My brother, actually." Blaine was not ready to go back inside yet, so he sat down on the beach, holding out his arm for Kurt to sit next to him.

"Are you going to talk to him about it?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. How exactly do I bring up the subject without sounding pompous? 'Hey Coop, heard you're proud of me and show me off to your coworkers.'"

Kurt laughed. "Well maybe don't say it like that. Just sit him down and let him know how you've been feeling about him. Give him the chance to bring it up. Have a heart to heart."

"I am very bad at those."

"You're doing great right now," Kurt pointed out.

Blaine turned to Kurt as though he was missing the most obvious thing. "Yeah, but it's _you_."

Kurt's heart tap danced in his chest. He wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and hugged him tightly. Lately he'd found himself thinking that he couldn't believe life had brought him to Blaine, and Blaine kept reinforcing that disbelief. He was so honest and genuine, which was funny, considering where they started.

Kurt had not thought much beyond their six days in Hawaii yet, though, for fear of shattering their perfect illusion. They left tomorrow afternoon, however, so Kurt could not ignore it any longer.

"What happens when we get back?"

"I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it yet. Let's just enjoy the time we have left here and after that, trust in life and trust in each other."

After his bad dating experiences, trusting another guy was difficult for Kurt. But somehow, he found trusting Blaine to be frighteningly easy.

"Do you trust me right now?" Kurt smirked, looking around the beach to ensure that they were alone.

Blaine nodded with certainty.

"Then come with me." Kurt stood, began stripping out of his clothes, and held out a hand for Blaine to take. "We're going to check an item off my bucket list."

"What's that?" Blaine asked curiously, removing his clothes as well.

"To make love in the ocean."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 10**

Breathless and between eager kisses that were wet with droplets of seawater, Blaine asked, "is this really on your bucket list?"

Kurt groaned in frustration at the loss of Blaine's mouth on his, but was secretly thrilled to be talking about his innermost desires with Blaine. When he compiled his bucket list, he had never pictured one particular person standing by his side while he crossed the items off, but now that he had met Blaine, it seemed that anything was possible. "Yes. Now are there any other burning questions on your mind, or can we get back to business?"

The saltwater of the ocean splashed against their chests, agitated by the gyrations of their hips that never slowed, even through their superfluous conversation.

"Hmm," Blaine thought. "How old _is_ Johnny Depp? How were the great pyramids built? Where did you get these delectable abs?"

"Ageless, aliens, lots and lots of crunches. Anything else?"

"No," Blaine nodded, satisfied. "You may proceed."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You are so strange. Lucky for you, I like strange." He dove back in and kissed Blaine with a renewed energy. Any time Kurt had imagined the greatest love of his life, he had always thought of compliments, soft touches, overall romance. The word 'fun' had not ever come to mind. Blaine was fun and ridiculous. He made him laugh. And sometimes, that was even better than what Kurt had always imagined.

Their hands wandered everywhere they could reach, wanting to feel, experience, claim every part of each other. The salty tang of the water mingled on their lips and on their tongues, combining with the essence of each boy for a taste they would never forget.

"What do you want?" Kurt whispered hot against Blaine, rocking his hips forward with a soft moan.

"I think you know," Blaine teased, pressing his ass back into Kurt's hand.

Kurt grabbed underneath Blaine's right leg and lifted it up above his hip. Blaine instinctively wrapped his leg around Kurt's waist, resulting in an intense closeness that made both boys shudder. Kurt's fingers tiptoed along Blaine's back to dip between his cheeks, rendering Blaine sensitive and pliant beneath his hands, responsive to Kurt's every touch without thought.

"You are perfect," Kurt growled, struggling to maneuver his hand to brush over Blaine's entrance. "This angle is awful, though."

"Hold on, I'm climbing all the way on."

Before Kurt had a chance to process Blaine's words, Blaine was jumping up to wrap both legs around him. Kurt, not expecting the movement, was unable to compensate quick enough for the added weight or shifted center of gravity, and the two went crashing into the water.

"Oops," was all Blaine said when they surfaced. Kurt glared at him for a moment before they both dissolved into laughter.

"Let's try that again," Kurt offered when they had settled down. He held out his arms and Blaine happily hopped into them. They resumed their kisses, though the fire had subsided and their making out was now peppered with snickers.

"Blaine! Stop giggling. You're slippery and I'm losing my hold on you," Kurt chastised.

Somehow, that set Blaine off even more, and to demonstrate that he was not exaggerating, Kurt let Blaine slide down his body and back into the water.

Coming up for air, Blaine snaked his way up Kurt's toned body, leading with his tongue. Then he promptly turned and spit into the ocean.

"Ugh! Salt water!"

Kurt laughed at him. "Come here, you fool." He tugged Blaine back to his previous position, and resumed kissing him until they were both panting once again.

Kurt's hand danced across Blaine's back to slide into Blaine, who squirmed in discomfort at the intrusion. Kurt froze immediately. "What?"

"It's not very comfortable like that. Need lube." Blaine dropped his head into Kurt's shoulder in resignation, and said sarcastically, "well this is going very well."

"We should just call it quits. 'Make love in the ocean' will forever be an unresolved item on my bucket list," Kurt sighed.

"No." Blaine disentangled himself from Kurt and help up a single finger telling him to wait as he ran inside, still stark naked. Blaine returned a minute later holding a small plastic bottle, and stopped at the edge of the water, motioning for Kurt to join him.

"I have found a solution," Blaine claimed proudly when Kurt reached his side. "Make love," he motioned to the sand, "ocean," he motioned to the shoreline.

"What are you proposing?" Kurt furrowed his brow.

"Sex right here, feet in the water. Best of both worlds."

Kurt looked around himself. "Are you sure nobody will see?"

"It's pitch black out. Plus," he dragged Kurt a few yards down the beach to a small cove that was shielded from the rest of the shoreline by plants and trees, "we'll do it here."

That was enough to sell Kurt on the idea. He lowered himself to the ground, tugging on Blaine's hips for him to follow.

"I have to start over from square one, I'm afraid," Blaine motioned down to himself. "That whole ordeal was pretty unsexy."

Kurt ran a hand down Blaine's now-dry chest. "Don't worry, I'll get you right back where you need to be."

"Okay, but you're laying down and I'm on top. We don't need any sand involved here. I would not like any of it to get in my you-know-where."

"Oh, I know where," Kurt smiled, running a slicked finger over Blaine's entrance, which fluttered at the touch.

"Please put your you-know-what in my you-know-where. _Kurt."_

Kurt burst out laughing at Blaine's mixture of goofiness and arousal. "Talk about unsexy. You're the weirdest boy I know. Actually, scratch that. It wasn't unsexy, it was weirdly endearing. Which is a little bit of a turn on for me. But you're still a huge weirdo."

Blaine scoffed. "Whatever. You know you love me."

They both froze, eyes locked on each other, silently panicking over Blaine's words.

"I—I didn't—" Blaine began, but Kurt cut him off with a mind-numbing kiss. On the outside, Blaine kept his composure, doing his part to kiss back with blisteringly hot passion. On the inside, Blaine was doing a crazy happy dance because Kurt hadn't denied that he loved Blaine. He hadn't confirmed, but he definitely hadn't denied, and Blaine was considering that a victory.

Successfully back into states of extreme arousal, Kurt made quick work of opening Blaine up and before he knew it, Kurt was pushing into him. He did not think he would ever get used to the feeling of Kurt making love to him. Each time was as captivating and as sensational as the last.

Blaine sat back, grinding down on Kurt, and throwing his head back to reveal the endless line of his neck, silly mood vanished to a distant memory.

Kurt held tightly onto his hips as they moved, whimpering slightly every time Blaine dragged himself down. Blaine felt the familiar sensation of his climax building hot and deep in his core, the sensation only one other person had ever been able to give him. Kurt had a part of him that Blaine cherished, and he always would.

"This feels so good," Kurt moaned.

"You mean— _ahh_ —finally getting this right after all those failed attempts earlier?" Blaine bit his lip to try to hold off his impending orgasm.

"No, I don't mean that," Kurt said. " _Oh my god, Blaine..._ I mean just being with you like this. It feels right."

Blaine's head spun at the admission, and the intimacy of the words, coupled with Kurt taking him into his adept hands, had Blaine spilling his release onto Kurt's stomach.

Kurt was keening and arching underneath him as Blaine continued to work him over, and not too long after, with a ragged cry of Blaine's name, he, too, was letting go.

Still inside, Kurt pulled Blaine down to lie on top of him, carding his fingers through Blaine's drying curls.

"Let's rinse off in the ocean," he whispered, anything louder seeming far too harsh for the beauty and serenity of the moment.

"In a minute. I just want to be like this for a little. With you still inside of me."

"Won't argue with that," Kurt dropped a kiss to Blaine's temple. "Thank you for helping make this dream come true."

Blaine sighed happily against his chest, wondering if Kurt was referring to more than just his bucket list item. "I want to make all of your dreams come true."

"Acting?" Kurt asked nervously.

Blaine kissed right over Kurt's heart. "Not a chance."

* * *

"Goodbye, bar." Kurt patted the bar countertop in their room.

"Goodbye, couch," Blaine ran a hand across the back of what had been his bed the first few days on the island.

"Goodbye, bed," they sighed wistfully together.

Kurt and Blaine were set to leave for the airport in fifteen minutes. They were reluctant to part with the place that had brought them together, both a little worried that the magic of their relationship was somehow tied to the little villa in Hawaii, and that when they left, things would not be the same.

"We did bid her a fond farewell," Kurt sat down on the foot of the bed, motioning for Blaine to join him.

"The fondest. Although, I don't know if she appreciated me making love to you as much as I did," Blaine laughed.

"Nobody appreciated it more than me," Kurt said.

"Debatable."

Kurt shook his head. "I've turned you into a sex fiend. When you get back to the city, don't go hooking up with just anyone, you hear me?"

Blaine laughed heartily. "Why would I do that when I have you?"

Kurt's heart fluttered. That was the closest Blaine had come to discussing what would happen when they returned home. A small part of Kurt hoped that whatever bond he had formed with Blaine could endure the outside world, but the majority of him feared that it would not. That Blaine would not want him anymore with real life staring him in the face. That outside of their perfect bubble there in Hawaii, the relationship would be too difficult to navigate. But Blaine's words made him rethink that hope.

"So there's a possibility we could still be together?"

Blaine had a strange look on his face. "You're ridiculous, you know that?" Then he tackled Kurt backward and kissed him until he couldn't breathe.

* * *

After saying goodbye to the shower, the pool, the cabana, and the ocean, Blaine and Kurt found their way to the airport. They stayed close to each other as much as they could, holding hands, shoulders touching, sneaking kisses.

On the plane, Blaine mused, "I can't believe it's only been a week. It feels like so much longer."

He received no response from Kurt, so he glanced over to see Kurt's head drooping onto his shoulder, fast asleep.

The first time Kurt had fallen asleep on him, Blaine had hardly been touched by another man before. He had been nervous and giddy and had never wanted Kurt to stop touching him.

That last part hadn't changed, but everything else had. For the last week, Kurt had been the bright point at the center of Blaine's life. He had changed everything for Blaine in just a few days. Now, Kurt was someone he was comfortable with, someone he had shared every part of himself with.

Blaine was not good with words, as evidenced by how he could hardly speak to people he did not know, but he tried to communicate his feelings to Kurt in the best way he knew how: with his actions. Every kiss told Kurt _thank you_ or _you're incredible_ or _good morning, beautiful._ Every touch of his face told Kurt _you amaze me._ Every time they made love, it told Kurt _I never thought I could feel this way._ And as they exited the plane back at LaGuardia and saw the camera crew waiting to interview them, the squeeze Blaine gave Kurt's hand told him, _trust in me._

* * *

Bags collected and cars on standby, Kurt and Blaine were taken to a small lounge for one last interview. They sat side by side, but not touching, as they had taken to doing in front of the cameras.

"How was your vacation in Hawaii?" The interviewer asked.

"It was amazing," Kurt said with a smile. "Hawaii is gorgeous, and we had a great time. We are so grateful to GMA for providing us with this once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"Have the two of you formed a friendship? Or perhaps something more? Will you see each other again after this is over?"

Kurt opened his mouth to respond again, to say that they were great friends and nothing could keep them apart, but Blaine spoke out first, causing tiny daggers of dread to poke at Kurt's chest.

"We had a lot of fun on our trip, and I'm glad I got to spend it with this guy," Blaine pointed his thumb in Kurt's direction. "But at the end of the day, we've only known each other for a week. We're virtually strangers. We may happen across each other's paths again someday, but we don't have any plans for the future."

Each word that fell out of Blaine's mouth drove the daggers further and further into Kurt's heart. By the time Blaine was finished speaking, he was left a destroyed mess. Blaine didn't want him after all. Everything they had shared was over, isolated to their vacation, and would never cross over into their real lives.

He was sure he looked ridiculous, sitting there in shocked silence, allowing Blaine to answer the remainder of the questions, but he could not move. Blaine's knee nudged his, but it was impossible to make sense of it.

"Well, we saw them meet for the first time, and now we see them say goodbye," the interviewer said. "Your cars are waiting, boys. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey."

Blaine helped Kurt to his feet, and though the cameras were still rolling, he pulled Kurt into a tight embrace.

Kurt held on for dear life. Based on what Blaine had just said, this was probably the last he would see of him. He took one last chance to bask in the warmth and comfort of Blaine's body, remembering all of the moments they had shared over the past week, and mourning the loss of any future he had imagined for them. Blaine's fingers pressed into his back, his lips moved wordlessly against his neck, his heart beat quick and sure against his chest. What were Blaine's fingers, his lips, his heart trying to tell him?

Too soon, Blaine pulled away, and without another look back into Kurt's eyes, allowed himself to be ushered to his ride.

Burning everything about the hug into his memory, trying to find hidden messages where there weren't any, Kurt walked numbly to where Rachel was waiting in the car, and returned home broken hearted.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: This is it. The last chapter. I hope every one of you enjoyed the story. Until next time. xo**

 _ **Strangers In Love**_

 **Chapter 11**

Morning dawned, and Kurt awoke with a burning in his eyes, a pain in his chest, and an onslaught of memories of the previous day.

 _Blaine._ The thought brought on a flurry of mixed emotions for Kurt. He longed for the warmth of his cuddles, ached for his company, but above all, he felt hurt. He was not upset with Blaine for leaving him. No, he had been through this too many times to blame the other man. He was upset with himself for not being good enough to hold onto Blaine.

His stomach was in knots over the loss he felt, but still, he smiled at the comforting sight of his best friend propped up against her headboard, hand sleep frozen mid-pet on his back. Rachel may have been the most overbearing and pushy person on the planet, but at times like these, it was easy to forget all of that. She had a good heart that showed itself quite extraordinarily when Kurt needed her.

Upon their reunion in the car the night before, Kurt had held in the tears until he was in Rachel's arms, then he had been unable to stop them from flowing all night. He had not even been able to calm down enough to tell his roommate more than "it all went wrong!"

Rachel had stepped up spectacularly to fill the role of supportive friend, allowing him to cry it out, and, going against her very nature, refraining from asking questions. She had laid in bed next to him, singing soothingly to him until he finally fell asleep, and apparently, she had fallen asleep as well.

Now, stretched out next to him in his bed, she felt Kurt stirring next to her and opened her eyes. She appraised him nervously for signs of continued hysterics, but found none. When she determined it to be safe, she asked in a scratchy voice, "how are you doing?"

He considered the tightness in his lungs and the awful memories of Blaine's words before speaking honestly. "Horrible." Kurt pushed himself up to sit against the headboard. A hand subconsciously wandered over his heart, pressing gently against it. "Even after finding out that Alex and Jake were sleeping with other people, nothing has hurt me quite like this. Blaine is just...He's Blaine. Nothing and nobody can stand up to him. I know I've only known him a week, but I feel like he's one of the only people I can truly be myself with. And I know that's true for him, too." He looked at Rachel with tears in his eyes once again. "At least, I thought it was. I honestly don't know what to think anymore. I'm so confused."

Rachel listened attentively while he talked, leaning her head against his shoulder. Kurt was so grateful for the way she comforted him and made him feel like he wasn't alone. He would never tell her that, of course. She sat up straight and pushed herself up off the bed, straightening out her shirt.

"I'm going to go make us breakfast and then you can tell me the whole story from the beginning while we eat. You still have that audition today, and you need fuel."

Kurt reluctantly agreed, not because he did not want to share the story, but because Rachel's cooking was seriously subpar. She was being sweet, though, and hadn't turned the situation around to herself nor had she thrown any backhanded insults, so he let her take care of him. God knows he had taken care of her after a breakup too many times to count.

Twenty minutes later, though, Kurt was wishing he had insisted on cooking. Rachel's vegan breakfast croissants left a lot to be desired, he thought as he chewed on egg substitute and soy-based cheese.

But Rachel looked at him expectantly over her coffee, so he took a big bite, swallowed, and began talking. He told her everything. He told her how he felt the first time he saw Blaine, how he felt awkward and disliked when they first arrived in Hawaii, how Blaine slowly warmed up to him by acting confident, how they made out drunk and did body shots, and how he realized the exact moment he knew Blaine wasn't acting anymore. He told her about sleeping together for the first time, about the beauty of their last few days together, and about the final interview that ruined everything. He told her how deeply he felt for Blaine, how intense of a connection they had forged, and how he had thought that Blaine felt the same. Clearly he had been wrong.

When he finished, her eyes were shiny, and her empathy nearly broke Kurt down again.

"He just said you wouldn't see each other again and walked away?" she asked in disbelief when she was positive he was done talking.

Kurt nodded slowly, sipping on his morning coffee. "Basically. I mean, we didn't really have a choice with the cameras on us and everything."

Rachel grabbed his hand on top of the table. "Kurt. You can't let this slip away. It's obvious you love him." She ignored his gasp. "You have to try. Give him a call. Go to his house. Something. Don't give up. Fight for him."

"I can't," Kurt hung his head.

"You can! What's the worst that can happen? He already broke your heart."

 _There_ was the Rachel he knew and loved. "Yeah, thanks for that, Rach. But I can't. Like, literally can't. I don't know where he lives, and we never exchanged phone numbers."

"Are you insane?!" Her voice rose a few octaves.

"We didn't have any need for each other's numbers in Hawaii, and then the way we parted…the opportunity just never arose."

"Well, find a way, Kurt. Just tell him how you feel."

Kurt only knew of one way to contact Blaine, and it could be months before he received a response. Still, Rachel was right. He needed to let Blaine know how he felt, even if it could never be returned, because maybe they could still be friends, and having Blaine as a friend was better than not having Blaine at all.

He began composing a message.

* * *

"You're different," Sam told Blaine with an accusatory narrowing of his eyes. "You were only gone for a week, and you're different."

Blaine flopped into Sam's favorite recliner, kicking back with a gigantic grin on his face. "A week is long enough to change someone's life, my friend."

"Oh no, if you're going to become all sappy and philosophical every time you meet a guy you like, I'm requesting a refund on our friendship." Sam jokingly rolled his eyes, but Blaine knew he was over the moon that Blaine had finally fallen for someone.

"I don't think it will be like this every time. In fact, I hope there aren't any other times at all."

Sam's jaw dropped. "Holy shit. You love him."

Blaine tried to shrug it off, but his face-splitting smile was telling. "Oh, stop it. Let's play Super Smash Bros."

A surefire way to help Sam forget everything else around him, they began playing an intense round of the video game without much exchanged between them aside from a few taunts.

A while later, Sam had defeated Blaine, who was distracted by thoughts of a particular gorgeous man.

"Yes!" Sam jumped up to celebrate his victory, more than willing to capitalize on Blaine's lapse in attention. "You're buying Chinese tonight."

"Kurt—" Blaine cut himself off, but Sam was curious.

"What about Kurt?"

"I was going to say Kurt will be so jealous. He loves Chinese food." Blaine sank back into the couch cushions, coming to a sudden realization. "Oh god, we decided to get Chinese for dinner and the first thing I wanted to do was tell Kurt. What does that mean?"

"I think you know what it means."

* * *

"He doesn't love me."

* * *

"I love him."

* * *

"He never wants to see me again."

* * *

"I want to see him again as soon as possible."

* * *

"I have no idea how to get ahold of him."

* * *

"I know the perfect way to get ahold of him!" Blaine realized, perking up as he and Sam went for another round of video gaming.

"What's that?"

"He told me about this place he goes to in Central Park to people watch. I bet I could find him there."

"So you're just going to stalk his spot until he shows up?" Sam was skeptical.

"Basically, yes."

Sam shook his head. "I can't believe you never swapped phone numbers."

"We didn't ever really even talk about what we would do once the vacation was over," Blaine shrugged.

"What?! Then how do you know he even wants to see you again?"

Blaine frowned. "The things he said. He said being with me felt right. He didn't deny it when I jokingly said he loved me. He asked if there was a possibility we could still be together after the trip...lots of things, Sam. I'm not making it up, I swear."

"Okay, okay. What did you say back so that he would know you want to see him again?"

Blaine thought back, but couldn't come up with an example. "You know I'm not good with words."

"But you must have told him _something."_

"Well I told him with my actions. You know I'm a physical person rather than a verbose person."

"But you didn't tell him?"

"I did. In my own way."

"Blaine."

"Sam."

"And then you just told the camera crew you didn't like him enough to see him again and walked away from him?"

"I hugged him goodbye. That told him everything he needed to know."

"Blaine!"

"Sam!"

"And you didn't talk to him beforehand about what you were going to say to the cameras?"

"He knew I wanted to downplay things for TV. I squeezed his hand to reassure him when we saw the film crew."

" _Blaine!_ "

" _Sam!"_

Sam rose to his feet and smacked Blaine upside the head. "You are such an idiot. What do you think Kurt is doing right now?"

"I don't know, he told me he had an audition this afternoon, so he's probably rehearsing." Blaine sighed happily thinking of Kurt's singing voice, but was jarred by Sam's next words.

"Wrong. He's sitting at home, thinking that you've just dumped him and left him high and dry."

"That's insane," Blaine laughed. "He knows how I feel about him." Didn't he? Hadn't he shown Kurt how much he valued their relationship?

"Are you sure? We already established that you never told him. Take a step back, Blaine. Put yourself in his shoes. _I_ understand that you speak with your actions, but most people want to hear words when they're being told something."

Uncertainty started to creep in on Blaine. "What are you—you don't think—"

"That's exactly what I think. You have to tell him."

Blaine agreed. He had been positive Kurt understood how he felt. He was still sure, but it would not hurt to tell him again. "I'll hit up his spot in the park tomorrow. We're bound to run into each other soon."

"No," Sam said, holding Blaine's phone in his hand, a shocked expression on his face. "I don't think it can wait. You won't think so either after you read this."

* * *

 _Blaine, I wish I had a way to reach you that was better than Grindr...but then isn't it appropriate that our relationship started out here, and now it may end here?_

 _I heard what you said to the GMA crew, so I know you have no intention of really hearing from me again, but Blaine, I just need to say something before we part ways forever. You could have been it for me. My beginning and my end. The short time we had together brought me closer to you than to anyone else I've ever known. I thought the connection we had was pretty special. I understand that you don't feel the same way, but I want to explain what it was like for me._

 _Being with you last week was finding who I am and where I'm meant to be. It was finally understanding my purpose in this life. It was realizing that there is someone out there who can make me completely happy. It was discovering what love actually is._

 _I want to be clear that I'm angry, but with me, not with you. You're under no obligation to want to continue to date me. I just wish it could be different. That I could be different._

 _That's what I do to people. I fall for them and then they leave me. I'm used to it. But I sure as hell hoped I wouldn't have to be this time. If you're interested, I would love to stay friends. If and when you're ready for that, just say the word._

 _Thank you for giving me the greatest week of my life._

 _Kurt_

* * *

Kurt stood at the entrance to the theatre, amazed that Rachel had somehow convinced him to come to his audition anyway, despite his mood. The song he had prepared for the audition was a happy song about being in love. How could he believably play that role in his current state? He breathed in and out slowly, trying to put himself in the right headspace.

He had done little more than sulk all day, spending most of his hours remembering the good times with Blaine and wondering how he could have misread the signals. How it could have all gone wrong. For the millionth time that day, he recalled Blaine's assertion that what they had wasn't casual. Had he been playing a role the whole time? Did Kurt even know the real Blaine?

But then...everything they shared was so raw and real. The touches, the kisses, the moments of honesty. For Blaine to just turn it around and walk away from him seemed impossible. He had to have been missing something.

With a deep, bracing breath and an attempt to push all things Blaine out of his mind, he gripped his sheet music and pushed through the doors, which clanged shut behind him.

"Hi," came a shy voice from across the vestibule.

Kurt's head whipped around to see Blaine standing there. He was frozen on the spot, everything in his body completely paralyzed, except for his heart which was thumping madly against his rib cage.

Blaine took a tentative step forward. "I was really hoping this was the right theatre. Do you know how many there are? I went into at least six others before even finding one that was holding auditions."

Kurt's mouth moved soundlessly before he forced out the words, "What are you doing here?"

Blaine lifted up his shoulders and offered out his hands. "I promised I would accompany you anytime you wanted. Do you want?"

Kurt was struck dumb. "Um...what?"

"In case you didn't realize, we never exchanged numbers. I had no idea how to find you."

"Why did you want to find me? You walked away. Didn't you say you didn't want to see me again? Why would you show up here if you didn't like me enough to keep me around?"

Kurt paused upon seeing Blaine's face as open and as sweet and loving as it had been all week.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Please don't. It hurts too much to remember." He curled in on himself, hand pressing protectively against his heart again.

Blaine placed a hand softly on Kurt's cheek. Kurt looked up at him, moving into his touch like it was where he was meant to be. "Kurt. You're asking me all the wrong questions. What's the most important one?"

Kurt still looked absolutely confused. He couldn't figure out Blaine's angle. He searched Blaine's eyes, which were pleading with him to understand.

"It's the question you've asked me a hundred times this past week," Blaine hinted. He waited with excitedly expectant eyes for Kurt to put the pieces together.

When he did, Kurt almost couldn't bring himself to ask. It made too much sense. Why didn't he see it before? He cursed the high pitch of his panicked voice. "Were—were you acting?"

The words were barely out of his mouth when Blaine scooped him up and twirled him around in a hug. "Yes! Yes, of course I was acting. I didn't think America needed to know about us. I didn't want any unnecessary attention on us going forward. I want our relationship to be ours and ours alone. Kurt, everything I said to you last week was true."

Kurt's brain was still hesitant to believe, but his heart was dancing along happily. "You didn't _say_ anything. That's the problem."

"That hug I gave you before we left said everything. I have a hard time saying things with my words. You know that. Words aren't nice to me. Don't listen to what I say. Listen to what I do."

Blaine's hands hadn't left Kurt, and having reestablished their connection in that way made both of them feel at home. Kurt blinked his red-rimmed eyes before looking straight at Blaine. "But you told them we were strangers."

Blaine squeezed him, looking insanely happy. "We just met a week ago. We _are_ strangers. But Kurt, we're strangers in love."

Kurt's mouth gaped. His brain was whirling at a crazy speed. Blaine loved him? In a rush, Blaine's touches made sense. The way they seemed to say more than the touches of other men he'd dated, the way they felt more like a conversation than simple gestures.

"Blaine. _Those_ were nice words."

"But this is nicer." Blaine leaned in and captured Kurt's face in his hands, their eyes locked together, speaking volumes.

Kurt's breath stuttered before he spoke. It was barely above a whisper, but he needed to get it out.

"Yes. Accompany me. In this audition, and in life. I love you, Blaine."

Blaine's smile was blinding. He moved in for a tender and passionate kiss that erased any lingering doubt.

 _I love you too, Kurt._

 **Three Years Later**

"I can't believe Cooper offered to send us on our honeymoon," Blaine mused as he unlocked the door to their favorite Hawaiian villa.

"You can hardly call this a honeymoon," Kurt argued, following him in. "We've been married for a year already."

"Yeah, but we were too poor to go on a proper honeymoon a year ago since we both insisted on the starving artist life path. So I'm claiming this as ours. Are you complaining?"

"About the fact that we get to spend seven uninterrupted days doing nothing but hanging around by the ocean and having sex in our favorite place in the world? Never."

Blaine nodded smugly, setting down his and Kurt's suitcases by the dresser and turning back to his husband, trapping him between his body and the bar counter. "That's what I thought. And to think I never would have reconnected with Cooper if it hadn't been for our trip."

"Nothing in our lives would be the same if it hadn't been for that trip," Kurt brushed a stray curl out of Blaine's face.

"We never would have connected with each other, Blaine agreed.

"I never would have found the person my soul is meant to love."

"I might not have known what it felt like to be in love."

Kurt kissed Blaine slowly, allowing himself to be pushed back into the counter.

A moment later, Kurt pulled his lips away just enough to say, "I never would have learned to paddle board."

"I would probably still be a virgin," Blaine joked.

Their kiss broke off as Kurt laughed loudly.

"I'm really glad you're not." Kurt pushed his hips into Blaine's fingertips, asking him to hold him tighter.

"Mmm. Me too." Blaine obliged, dipping his tongue into Kurt's mouth.

"Sometimes I still can't believe someone like you could want to be my husband," Blaine admitted as he separated from Kurt, though he kept their bodies close together.

"You're ridiculous," Kurt slipped his hands under Blaine's shirt to trace lines above his waistband. "It's the greatest decision I've ever made. Best year of my life."

"Best three years of my life," Blaine corrected, shivering as Kurt moved to trace over his ribs. "Seriously Kurt, I don't think I tell you enough how much you've changed my life. Growing up shy, going through high school and college without finding someone who wanted to date me, or whom I could even talk to, I never thought I'd find love like this."

"Love like what?" Kurt's face was so close to his that it blurred. His arms wrapped around Blaine's waist to hold him close and tight, just like Blaine liked.

Over the years, Blaine had improved in his ability to express himself using words, but Kurt had perfected his ability to interpret Blaine's gestures. No more misunderstandings, no more heartbreak. Just a gorgeous language of love and trust, spoken or not.

"Like this," Blaine whispered, lifting Kurt up onto the counter and this time, he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. He unbuttoned the top few buttons on Kurt's shirt and pulled it aside to kiss tenderly over his heart, then turned his head and rested his cheek there, feeling Kurt's heartbeat.

"I understand, Blaine. It's all consuming. You're like an extension of me, too. I love you so very much."

"I love you, too. Happy anniversary."

And afterward, every two years on their anniversary, Kurt and Blaine visited the place where two strangers fell in love.


End file.
